Australia’s Newcastle Airport has issued request for tender documentation to five companies for the construction of its terminal redevelopment. The five companies were short-listed from an expression of interest process, completed earlier this year. It is expected that the successful tenderer will manage the full construction process and handover the completed works to Newcastle Airport by mid-2015.

Each tenderer has been provided with terminal concept plans, developed by Schreiber Hamilton Architecture, in consultation with stakeholders, airlines, and border agencies. The successful tenderer will be responsible for collaborating with the architect to complete the detailed design plan for Newcastle Airport’s final approval. It is expected that the final plan will be finalised and available to the public by late-May.

Newcastle Airport’s CEO, Paul Hughes, acknowledged the significant work already completed behind-the-scenes to get the project to this tendering stage. “In the six months since the Hunter Infrastructure Investment Fund announcement was made, we have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to kick this project along,” he explained.

“We’ve engaged architects to develop concept plans, which include facilities for the future capability of international services. Using these plans, we have sought feedback from our stakeholders including: retail concessionaries, retail consultant, rental car companies, our security provider, the airlines and their ground handlers, and border agencies,” he added.

Tenderers have five weeks to submit their tender. It is expected that the successful contractor will be notified in early May, and that works will commence in June. The $11.1 million terminal redevelopment project is funded by the NSW Government’s Hunter Infrastructure Investment Fund.

“It’s a great feeling to be at the stage where we can provide the community with something tangible; something that shows that this terminal redevelopment is really happening. And, it’s only going to get more exciting from here on in,” concluded Hughes.