Holdfast Training Services Trial Blog

The head contract at Sundrop Farms splits the project into five (5) Separable Portions (SP’s). The table below is taken directly from the contract, with no further description offered in the document.

Not long after construction began on site it has become apparent that there was a discrepancy between what John Holland (JH) and the client, Sundrop Farms, believed this date actually meant. JH have always gone down the line that this is the date from which Sundrop Farm will have access to two of the greenhouses (10 hectares total). After which the client will begin their fit out of the greenhouses, which includes approximately eleven weeks of activity per greenhouse. Sundrop Farms believe that this date represented the date in which the two greenhouses would become operational, i.e. they could begin planting.

                                  Site Progress

Eventually it was agreed that the JH proposal would be used. There was no further information stated in the contract for the client to point to and as the balance of plant is included under SP 4, the greenhouses could not be operational as it would have no heating (although this is not currently required). However JH have allowed Sundrop Farms access to the greenhouses early to begin the fit out in a beneficial occupancy agreement and a variation order has been issued to provide heating early (I plan on doing a TMR on how this is going to be achieved).

As JH and the client look towards completion, preparation activity for the operation of the plant is now beginning to build up. There are now commissioning managers both for JH and the client on site and a commissioning plan is taking shape. In addition the client has engaged a public relations company to publicise the project. As a result there have been a number of press visits to site, including the BBC. The competition is not hanging around either, Sundrop Farms has a ten year contract with one of Australia’s largest supermarket chains. Another large Australian supermarket this month launched a new brand of tomatoes called Sundrops, not everyone is convinced this is a coincidence.

                  Sundrop Tomatoes

Site wise progress continues at a quick pace. I have been running with the installation of three pump stations, the lining of the lagoons, pipe racks and now the installation of the solar tower, as well as coordinating the delivery of the mechanical equipment on site. JH have come to the conclusion that the two civil engineers on site won’t be able to absorb my work load and have had to recruit a mechanical engineer, so I guess I must have been doing something right.

With the summer months now upon us complaints from the subcontractors have switched from water logged roads to snakes, dust and heat. The temperature has steadily been rising, especially so inside the greenhouses. As a result the client and the subcontractor constructing the greenhouses agreed on a solution. They organised and paid for the roofs to be painted with a temporary chalk based paint, by helicopter. Not an easy task and I’m not sure how JH escaped picking up any of the cost. It would have been interesting to capture some before and after data to see how effective this is, but unfortunately no one took any before readings! Although last week Port Augusta was the hottest place in Australia, with temperatures exceeding 45 deg. Inside the greenhouses where workers are currently installing netting and grow wires in the eaves, the temperature apparently hit 58 deg, this was with the paint in place.

              Helicopter Spraying the Roof