Director of the Australian War Memorial, Matt Anderson, with the Memorial’s Executive Project Director, Wayne Hitches, with the 2024 Asia-Pacific Project Controls Transformational Project of the Year and the other awards. Photo: AWM.
The Australian War Memorial’s (AWM) $550 million development project was named Transformational Project of the Year and won a number of other awards at the 2024 Asia-Pacific Project Controls Expo held in Melbourne.
The AWM won the international Transformational Project for its “outstanding organisational and cultural transformation changes”.
Australian War Memorial Director Matt Anderson said he was delighted to see the cultural institution recognised.
“This award is a testament to the Australian War Memorial’s commitment to the sound management of this ambitious development project and delivering value for money for the Australian public,” he said.
It also won the Department of Finance’s Gold Award for Encouraging Environmental Sustainability through Procurement in the 2024 Commonwealth Procurement and Contract Management Awards for Excellence.
The award acknowledges that the AWM is leading the nation with a new green energy project, delivering the largest closed-loop underground geothermal technology heating and cooling system in Australia.
“The Australian War Memorial is tapping into renewable thermal energy stored in the ground,” Mr Anderson said.
“We use the earth’s temperature to heat and cool, unlocking sustainable ways to provide a comfortable environment for our visitors and for the protection of the national collection.
“The project eliminates the production of up to 1000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year – the equivalent of transporting about 87,500 students a year from Sydney to Canberra return to visit the Australian War Memorial carbon-free.”
It is the second year in a row the AWM has been acknowledged by the Department of Finance.
In 2023, the AWM won the Commonwealth Procurement and Contract Management Gold Award for Generating Broader Benefits to the Australian Economy through Procurement with the Memorial’s Veterans Employment and Opportunity Plan.
“In an institution that honours the service of past generations, we are committed to making it sustainable for the future,” Mr Anderson said.
The new entrance to the Australian War Memorial was opened in September. Photo: AWM.
One of the country’s most recognisable landmarks, the AWM attracts more than a million visitors a year in its capacity as a shrine to those who served Australia in conflict and as a centre of research excellence.
Once the major renovation works are completed, the AWM will feature a new southern entrance, Anzac Hall, gallery fit-outs and extensions to the Charles Bean building to establish a new research centre.
The newly expanded and reshaped parade ground opened to the public in time for Anzac Day commemorations earlier this year, while in September, the Commemorative Entrance was reopened to the public, including the original entrance, stairs and forecourt, which are visible by looking directly up Anzac Parade.
The multi-million dollar project is scheduled for completion by 2028.
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