Your questions answered

If you have a question or feedback about the Campus 2010 project, or if you just want to share your experience of the project, please use the Campus 2010 feedback form.

We will respond to your e-mails individually where appropriate and also print as many of the answers as possible under the headings below.

Please note: e-mails may be edited in the interests of length and readability.

Q. Will the motorcycle parking be retained on campus?
A. Yes. There will be no changes to motorcycle parking on campus; all the permanent changes to campus parking have already been made.

Q. Which parking permits are accepted at Shepherd Street carpark? Can students from SCA and Cumberland campus park at Shepherd Street parking?
A. All Camperdown and Darlington campus permits are accepted at the Shepherd Street carpark. Sydney College of the Arts Permits are only for the Rozelle campus and do not permit parking on any other campus. The Shepherd Street carpark does have casual parking available to non-permit holders at $4 per hour, up to $24 maximum each day.

Q. Is the Shepherd Street car park safe?
A.The University of Sydney is located in an area with a high incidence of car thefts so anyone parking in the vicinity whether on the street, on campus, or in the Shepherd Street car park takes a risk. However, both the Security staff and the Parking Officers regularly patrol the Shepherd Street car park. CCTV is installed in the School of Information Technologies' car park and there are plans to extend the coverage to other parts of the car park in the next couple of months. According to Security, most break-ins occur because things are left in the car - money in the centre console, CDs, sunglasses, laptops etc. Parking in the Shepherd Street car park is the same level of risk as parking on campus or in the surrounding streets and you should take the same precautions as you do when using any other car park in Sydney.

Q. On graduation day, parking spots in the Main Quad are roped off and guarded by security who won’t let University staff park there. Why, when parking is not just a privilege but also our right (after all we pay for it), can’t we use these empty spaces?
A. On graduation days which are usually Fridays, parking around University Place is closed off. This is mainly to provide safe access for The Academic Procession which marches out of the Great Hall, along the road and back in through the Northern Vestibule several times a day. In addition, due to the number of people attending graduation ceremonies, the number of cars in the area is kept to a minimum. Parking spots are, therefore, reserved for disabled or elderly people attending the ceremonies or for University vehicles.

Q. Just wondering if the Shepherd Street car park rates will be lowered or remain at $24.
A. The rates will remain at $24. Car park rates across the University were raised last year in preparation for Campus 2010. It was done to prevent non-campus users from parking in the University and catching buses into their CBD offices. Raising the charges returned a large number of parking spaces to campus users.

Q. I am a part-time student with lectures and tutorials in the region of Carslaw from 5pm to 8pm. Can you recommend the safest parking option now that the parking along Eastern Ave will be no longer available.
A. The only parking spaces that have been lost are along Eastern Avenue. Parking is still available adjacent to the main entrance gates, around the Quadrangle and on the Darlington campus. Probably the safest option is the Shepherd Street car park (see map). It more than covers the number of spaces that have been removed from Eastern Avenue. A security bus runs to and from the car park each evening until 10.00pm Monday – Thur, until 8pm Fri and until 5pm Sat/Sun.

Q. I'd like to know how many car parking spots will be lost under the work started from 14 April? Will parking spaces be available again after the construction? If yes, how many could be gained?
A. Around 200 spots will be lost from Eastern Avenue from 14 April. Once the Campus 2010 Project is completed at the end of 2008, over 400 spaces will be returned in the underground car park in the Law School. There will be a total loss of 2 spaces across the Camperdown and Darlington campuses. Full details of the losses and gains can be found on the Parking Map and Chart.

Q. I have got a purple parking pass, am I able to park in Shepherd Street car park?
A. Yes you can. Parking in the Shepherd Street carpark is free for all University Parking Permit holders.

Q. Is the Maze Green project going to be finished in time for semester one, 2008?
A. Unfortunately the whole project won't be complete. When the green was excavated to put in the new rainwater tanks, a large amount of old site fill was discovered, which had to be removed. This extra remediation and the wet weather through January has delayed the project by several weeks.

However, the new path across the green linking the Biochemistry building and the Shepherd Street boardwalk will open in early March 2008. The horticultural test plot bordering Barff Road will also be ready in early March 2008.

Q. What will happen to the Wentworth building once the Sydney Central building is completed? Will the current retailers move into the new building?
A. The Wentworth building and its retail tenants are managed by the University of Sydney Union (USU). The USU is also responsible for the retail tenants in the Sydney Central plaza. For more information about the retail and other businesses in these two buildings, please contact the USU at .

Q. Why so much glass? Everyone knows what makes Sydney Uni unique is the sandstone architecture. Go back to basics, rather than paving all the grass over and putting glass everywhere!
A. Sydney University is an eclectic mix of many architectural styles, ranging from the Gothic Revival sandstone buildings through to the Brutalism of the Engineering buildings. Using glass in the new buildings reflects current architectural trends, and provides the buildings' users and occupants with fantastic views over the city, the campus and Victoria Park. These view shafts pay homage to Wilkinson's 1920s masterplan for the campus, allowing our sandstone buildings to be seen by many more people.

Q. Please tell me that the hideous green glass panels on the City Road frontage of Sydney Central are not going to be permanent.
A. Yes, the green panels on the City Road frontage of Sydney Central are the permanent facade for that side of the building. On the Maze Green frontage, the building is clad with blue panels. The vibrant colours encapsulate the liveliness of the building as the hub of the city campus and centre of student services. It is certainly a striking design, and one that will no doubt generate many opinions.

Q. When will construction on the Maze Green area begin? This is especially in regard to the grassy area where many people relax during the day.
A. Construction on Maze Green is scheduled to start in the first week of September 2007 with completion of the whole area of the Darlington campus scheduled for May 2008. The grassy area will be retained until the end of the second semester lectures in October 2007.

Q. When will the current City Road footbridge be taken down? Will it be during 2nd semester and, if so, will that make the City Road lights as the only option to cross?
A. Preparation work for the installation of the new footbridge has already started at the City Road entrance. Demolition of the existing bridge will start once lectures/exams have finished at the end of this year. The new footbridge will be opened at the end of February 2008. Once the existing bridge has been demolished in November 2007, the City Road lights will be the only option to cross.

Q. Can you explain where the access from the new Sydney Central building comes out on Camperdown campus? Is a new footbridge being planned to replace the existing one from the Wentworth building?
A. Yes, the existing footbridge across City Road from Eastern Avenue to the Wentworth building is being demolished towards the end of 2007. It will be replaced by a new footbridge that starts from the Carslaw building, pivots to cross City Road and finishes in an open area just above level 3 of the Wentworth and Sydney Central buildings. At this end of the footbridge, people will either go down half a flight of stairs to the Wentworth building or down a separate half-flight of stairs into Sydney Central. For an artist's impression of the new footbridge, please click here.

Q. Seeing that the main pathway through the Darlington campus will be re-aligned to go through the Sydney Central building and Maze Green, does this mean that the existing concrete footbridge connecting Wentworth to the Biochemistry building will be demolished as well?
A. No, the footbridge between Wentworth and Biochemistry building will not be demolished as part of the Campus 2010 program.

Congratulations on having the insight to create a pedestrian boulevard along Eastern Avenue. I'm looking forward to enjoying walking and cycling along it in the future. I attended the talk today and was really excited about all the developments happening around campus. I was sitting there thinking that we are finally becoming a modern university. All the building plans look great and the open spaces will be even greater!

I strongly believe the whole campus needs to be closed to through traffic. When I was an under-graduate student here in the late 1970s, it was a privilege to be allowed to drive one's car into the campus grounds & every entrance\exit had a boom-gate, controlled by security officers, who might (not) grant entrance. Now we have cars, vans & trucks driving through the University with little regard for students.

Please note that the Camperdown Campus is a pedestrian area, after all! Moreover, the 25kph speed limit is rarely obeyed & never enforced! Consequently, many drivers help themselves to the 'short-cut' through this campus from City Rd to Broadway or Parramatta Rd, avoiding several sets of traffic lights along the way. Better planning is urgently needed before a student or staff member is run over by a vehicle passing through!

Q. You don't give the times for the evening bus services to Shepherd Street parking station, even though they're shown on one of your maps on the web. Between what hours will the bus be running?
A. The bus from the Shepherd Street parking station will run as follows with the exception of public holidays when there will be no service.

Mon-Fri 7.00am - 10.30am
Mon-Thur 3.00pm – 10.00pm
Fri 3.00pm – 8.00pm

Q. Will emergency services vehicles use Eastern Avenue to access campus buildings when the work is complete?
A. Yes, from 31 Janaury 2008 emergency vehicles will use Eastern Avenue to get across campus if they need to. At all other times, Eastern Avenue will be a pedestrian only zone.

Fire crews from Newtown, Redfern, Glebe and Haymarket visited Camperdown campus on 17 January 2008 and participated in a successful fire drill, which included driving their appliances down Eastern Avenue.

Q. Now that all the paving is nearly finished on Eastern Avenue, why are some stones being dug out of the finished boulevard?
A. As part of the project's quality assurance program, all the finished paving has been inspected by Dr Tom Hubble of the University's School of Geosciences. Dr Hubble has found defects in some pavers and these are being replaced as part of the normal defect rectification process. All the defective pavers will be replaced by the end of January 08.

Q. When is the Eastern Avenue project going to finish? If I remember correctly, it should have been finished in September or so?
A. Eastern Avenue is expected to be finished around late November - mid December. It was originally scheduled to finish in early October, but the wet weather in July and some other problems have pushed the finish date beyond what was expected.

Q. I hope the cobbled stones between the Chemistry and Anderson Stuart Buildings and in front of the latter are not going to be permanent, as they are disastrous for anyone with foot or back problems.
A. The cobbles between Chemistry and the Anderson Stuart buildings are permanent, but they will be supplemented by smooth pavers as required by the Australian disability codes. These smooth pavers will be suitable for people in wheelchairs and people with other mobility or disability issues.

Q. I was just wanting to find out when you would be advising in regards to the closure of the chemistry building front entrance.
A. The main entrance to the Chemistry Building will be open at all times. Changes may be made to access routes depending upon the construction needs.

Q. I've noticed that when no work is being carried out outside Carslaw Building and those huge lights are therefore not operating, that it's actually quite dark on the walkway. This is a very unsafe situation, especially at this time of year when it gets dark around 5pm.
A. Two of the temporary light towers (Anderson Stuart & Chemistry) have been replaced with new flood lights fixed to the buildings at a high level. The remaining light tower at Carslaw will be replaced early next week with new flood lighting.

Q. I notice that glass lifts are planned in Sydney Central Plaza to get to the new footbridge across City Road. Does the design take into account people who suffer vertigo? Is the only alternative to cross at street level?
A. The glass lifts are a specific response to personal safety concerns for people using the Cross Campus Connection after hours (which goes through Sydney Central). By having all parts of the Connection either transparent or open to the full view of everyone around, people who might be thinking about committing a crime in this area will be deterred because of potential witnesses to their actions. This deterrent factor is a well-proven crime prevention strategy. Vertigo sufferers will still be able to cross City Road at street level.

Q. The current footbridge going across City Road is not wheelchair accessible. Is there going to be a new footbridge over City Road?
A. The question of wheelchair access around campus has been a key consideration in the design and planning of Campus 2010. Once completed, there will be a wheelchair accessible path right from the Shepherd Street entrance in the south-east of the campus through to University Place and the Quadrangle. The existing footbridge on City Road will be replaced with a fully wheelchair accessible bridge open 24/7. In addition, two lifts will be installed to provide access from Maze Green on the Darlington Campus, through the new Sydney Central building and onto the new City Road bridge.

Q. Is there any consideration towards the concept of accessible path between all buildings on campus rather than the limited view of access to buildings on an individual basis?
A. Between 1999 and 2000 a complete audit was taken of all campus buildings and thoroughfares. From this an Access Masterplan was developed and the University committed to investing half a million dollars per annum to upgrade access. The three and a half million invested over the past seven years is in addition to specific projects which have been undertaken in individual areas.

Q. Is there any consultation happening with mobility impaired staff and students related to accessibility as well as transport and parking options on campus?
A. A specialist consultant (himself disabled) was involved in all stages of the Campus 2010 Program planning. We hold regular stakeholder meetings to discuss the program to which the Disability Services Co-ordinator is invited.

Q. I was wondering what provisions have been made to alert students with disabilities to these changes. Students who are visually impaired and not using a guide dog are particularly in danger as they rely on knowing specific routes to take within the University Grounds.
A. Thanks for your question. So far we haven't taken any specific actions to address this. However, we will undertake to contact the Disability Services team to discuss what we can do to assist in this area.

Q. I’d like to know what’s happening on the Cumberland campus.
A. Over the past few years, the University has considered a number of relocation options for the Cumberland Campus. These include moving to Sydney Olympic Park or to the Camperdown / Darlington Campus. While there is merit in a Camperdown / Darlington Campus consolidation, it is unlikely this could occur for at least the next few years given the time and cost required to allow such a large scale redevelopment. The Campus 2010 projects have no impact on the Cumberland campus.

Q. I think your new designs are good and much needed. However the interior of the John Woolley Building where I am located is in very poor condition as is the Ross Street Chemistry Building. I am embarrassed to show visitors around our laboratory facilities and have seen better offices and laboratories in developing countries thanks to them receiving grants from NGOs. What are the plans for these buildings?
A. The University has committed to a major capital development program, Campus 2020, which will extend beyond Campus 2010. The Ross Street building is one of the major projects within Campus 2020. The existing building which, as you say is in very poor condition, will demolished and replaced with a modern teaching and research building incorporating an underground car park. The John Woolley building is one of many buildings on campus that require a major upgrade of building fabric, services and internal tenancies. The upper levels occupied by the Faculty of Arts are scheduled for refurbishment in 2010 with part of level 2 planned for refurbishment late 2007 for the US Studies Centre.

Q. Will the large pine tree near the disabled parking area be retained in the the redevelopment of the Fisher Library forecourt? This tree provides food for a flock of black cockatoos that visit campus during the year. Its removal will deprive these birds of a feeding spot and we will miss out on the pleasure of observing their antics.
A. The only tree being kept in this redevelopment is the large Moreton Bay fig. The other trees will be removed to create a broad pedestrian flow between the library and Eastern Avenue, as well as lawns and seating in the plaza area. Although the redevelopment is removing one food tree for black cockatoos, we are not removing their only food source from campus. Black cockatoos also feed on Casuarina, Eucalyptus, Acacia, Banksia and Hakea and with the hundreds of eucalypts and dozens of banksias on campus, we are confident they will continue to be attracted to the University for food, and continue to entertain us all.

Feedback on the new grove for Maze Green
The 120 native trees sounds fantastic. Any initiative to retain and expand the green/ eco attributes of Sydney University should be congratulated. (The green attributes of Sydney Uni was one of the attributes that led me to commencing my Masters here, rather than at other options.)

Q. Will the tree planted by Old Darlington School in memory of Dr Ray Keogh be affected by the Maze Green redevlopment?
A. This tree will remain in its current position, unaffected by the redevelopment works.

Q. I would like to know why the trees near the Footbridge Theatre have been removed and whether they are going to be replaced.
A. The trees were removed for safety and access reasons. The trees, both olives, dropped a lot of seeds making the pathway very slippery causing a number of people, including a pregnant woman, to slip and fall. The larger of the trees was also termite infested creating a safety hazard. The damage the trees had caused to the pavement also meant that a lot of rainwater collected there restricting pedestrian access. The trees won’t be replaced, however within the next month, the area between the Holme and Old Geology buildings will be re-landscaped; the gravel replaced with grass and additional seating provided for the café creating a much more pleasant environment.

Q. You say that there will be more trees in future and yet on your image of the Law School forecourt no trees are shown.
A. The architect's drawing you refer to is purely an artist's impression of the building and focuses primarily on the building and not on surrounding areas. Having said that, the new areas have been designed to provide a mixture of multi-use open space, landscaped areas and sheltered areas. The Law School forecourt is one of the open spaces. A large number of trees will be planted along Eastern Avenue and around the open spaces.

Q. Please tell me what is going to happen to the row of plane trees and the other mature trees along Eastern Avenue? One article indicated that they would be replaced with native trees. I would like to know why it is necessary to do this.
A. All decisions made regarding the removal and replacement of trees were made in consultation and on the advice of renowned arboriculturalist Judy Fakes (see key profile). Judy advised that the Plane trees are a European species not best suited to the Australian climate and many of the Eastern Avenue trees were diseased. Plane trees have also been linked with exacerbating the symptoms of asthma. The trees will be replaced with semi-mature Angophora (Sydney Red Gum) trees which have been chosen for their ability to thrive in the dry conditions as well as for their beauty.

Q. Did I miss the part where you told us that all the trees were going to be removed from Eastern Avenue? Surely not all of them had to go?
A. Replacing the Plane trees along Eastern Avenue has always been part of the Campus 2010 plan and was a decision made based upon the advice of arboriculturalist Judy Fakes (see key profile). Many of the Plane trees were diseased and dying and therefore not worth preserving. All useable timber has been recycled. A number of other trees for instance the Figs at the entrance will be retained or relocated to other areas of campus. The good news is that the trees that have been removed and sent for recycling will be replaced with 3-4 times as many new trees.

Some demonstration of the use of rainwater tanks and solar power (where pratical/ cost effective) would be constructive in Sydney University sending the appropriate leadership signals to its students, staff and wider contacts in business and government.
The Maze Green redevelopment incorporates a 100,000 litre underground water tank, whose contents will be used to water gardens in the area. Rainwater collected from the roofs of the Law School and Fisher Library will be collected and used for toilet flushing and garden irrigation.

Q. I had a quick look at the Law School project. It all looks great. In light of the recent storms is there any capacity for rainwater capture and storage with this project?
A. The rain water that falls on Eastern Ave and the Law School roof will be collected and used for toilet flushing in the Law School Building and for irrigation of surrounding green spaces and gardens. The rain water will seep through paving and planted areas that will filter out impurities and improve the water quality before it is used for these purposes. The outdoor areas on both Camperdown and Darlington Campuses as part of the new building program will all be built using water sensitive urban design techniques - what this means is that as much available water will be re-used on-site as possible and less drinking quality water from Warragamba Dam will be used for toilet flushing and irrigation as is presently the case.