THE problems posed by the redevelopment and upgrade of the Gymea Shopping Centre will change the way Sutherland Shire Council will deliver its future projects.
The shopping centre upgrade has turned out to be one of the most challenging and complicated projects undertaken by the council.
The project grew in size, scope, complexity and cost, causing a 35 per cent increase in budget with the final cost put at $7.68 million.
In light of the significant community interest, the council has initiated a retrospective review of the project including surveys and discussion with the local Chamber of Commerce on what did and did not work.
"The feedback provided will assist in developing better systems, better processes and changed thinking on how we deliver these projects for the future," says the council's report on the Gymea Shopping Centre project's completion.
Surveys on the progress of the works were provided at each Gymea Village Fair between 2010 and 2014 asking residents of their experiences of the upgrade.
Responses collected in the most recent survey ranged from difficulty in finding parking, concerns about safety and residents seeking other places to shop during construction.
Despite the disruption, some residents conceded the upgrade was inconvenient but was for the benefit of the area.
Respondents commented that the construction process could be improved by informing residents and consulting with shopkeepers.
Some residents felt the council could "hire more staff for a quicker rebuild", or carry out most work at night.
The survey was continued online until the end of December, 2014.
Comments said Gymea had evolved into a desirable local shopping area with a welcoming village atmosphere.
But there were concerns about parking and traffic.
One of the main challenges was that the project was entirely within an active town centre that needed to continue operation during the construction period.
Material shortages and unscheduled interruptions caused numerous delays.
The shortage of pavers was a cause of delay as was the need to often stall the project to accommodate special events and trading seasons.
"The lessons learnt has seen significant efforts and progress made in the last year to establishing better practices, process and governance framework," the report concluded.
