Nan Tien Institute
The new site for the Nan Tien Institute will be home to the new state-of-the-art campus and Multicultural Art Gallery.
Nan Tien Temple is the largest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere and attracts a few hundred thousand visitors each year. Known as “Southern Paradise”, Nan Tien Temple focuses on the exchange of eastern and western cultures, the interchange of the traditional and the modern; and also the adaptation with the local communities. Over the past ten years, Nan Tien Temple has become one of the favourite venues, for religious study groups, school excursions and community group outings.
Wollongong City Council donated the 15 ha parcel of land opposite the Temple, a former council operated putrescible landfill, to allow the Temple to expand their facilities. This site will be home to Nan Tien Institute’s new state-of-the-art campus and Multicultural Art Gallery, with the Stage 1 construction budget at around $40 million.
Douglas Partners were engaged in 2000 to undertake geotechnical and environmental investigations at the site. The investigations completed to date have included the excavation of over 150 test pits and the drilling of over 20 deep boreholes across the site. Following initial investigation works, Douglas Partners has prepared a Remediation Action Plan in liaison with the EPA, undertaken detailed geotechnical and environmental investigation works and monitored environmental impacts.
Between 2010 – 2011 the site was subject to extensive clearing, benching, dynamic compaction and filling with coalwash to prepare the site for remediation and the first stage of building works. Douglas Partners were on site during these works undertaking daily inspections, environmental and geotechnical monitoring as well as providing engineering support. Construction of a remediation cap, landfill gas drainage, leachate collection and piling for the Phase 1 Stage 1 building works were completed in 2012 and the Stage 1 building was completed in 2015. The building was officially opened on 1st March 2015 by Grand Master Hsing Yun and the Prime Minister, Mr Tony Abbott. Douglas Partners continues to provide advice in both geotechnical and environmental aspects to the project.
