Lord Howe Island Masterplan and Critical Infrastructure Program
Client: NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
location: Lord Howe Island, NSW
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pROJECT SHEET: DOWNLOAD
lahznimmo architects for the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water in partnership with the Lord Howe Island Board and Reeves Envico delivering essential upgrades across two key zones of the island. The works include a new Waste Management Facility in the South Zone and new marine infrastructure and biosecurity facilities in the North Zone to support its remote community, environment and tourism-led economy.
The South Zone redevelopment replaces the island’s outdated WMF with contemporary infrastructure aligned with best-practice environmental standards. New buildings include a Materials Recovery Facility, organics processing shed, wastewater treatment system, and office and storage facilities. The layout is compact, threaded between protected native vegetation and existing dunes. The design response incorporates screening vegetation and subdued materiality to minimise visual impacts from the lagoon, surrounding hills and lookouts.
In the North Zone, a new fixed-pile vessel ramp adjacent to the existing jetty enables roll-on/roll-off freight operations, replacing the ageing Island Trader jetty infrastructure. A new unstuffing shed and integrated biosecurity facility are located along Lagoon Road. The design carefully balances operational needs with heritage and ecological values. Mature Norfolk Island pines and foreshore vegetation are retained, while new plantings enhance screening and reinforce landscape character.
Both precincts are situated within sensitive ecological and visual catchments. As such, the design strategy is founded on a light-touch, integrated approach that mitigates landscape and visual impact while enhancing infrastructure performance and reliability.
