Page 61 - Tropic Magazine Issue 21

TROPIC • CONSTRUCTION

1
Construction capacity Capital works projects 2020

POTENTIAL UNMET Smithfield bypass
Who Highway Construction/Albem Operations Joint
The State Government is estimating thousands Venture
of jobs will be created from its Far North From WA and Brisbane
Queensland construction projects but a Tropic Cairns Convention Centre expansion
investigation reveals the head contracts are Who Head Architects Cox Architecture
going to out-of-towners. From Sydney
Trinity Wharf
Words: Renee Cluff
Who Austral Construction
$967 million is being spent on Queensland Government- From Melbourne
funded capital works projects in Far North Queensland this Cairns Southern Access Corridor – stage 4
financial year, however in most cases local businesses are Who Georgiou Koppen Joint Venture
only being sub-contracted to the jobs. From Koppen is from Cairns, Georgiou is from WA
President of the North Queensland Civil Construction
Association (NQCCA), Phillip Cassell, has told Tropic the lack Cairns Southern Access Corridor – stage 3
of locally-awarded contracts is through no fault of the State Who HSA Group, comprising of John Holland, Seymour Whyte
Government’s tender processes. “In many cases we don’t and AECOM
have any one individual contractor that could successfully From China, Brisbane and USA-owned with Cairns office
tender such big projects,” he said. “For example, with the Atherton and Cairns Hospital upgrades
Smithfield Bypass the State Government did give locals
the opportunity to form an alliance with a joint venture Who FK Gardner and Sons
company. We couldn’t get a suitable joint venture together From Toowoomba
and when I spoke to the local companies they said it was too Cairns Hospital Mental Health Unit
hard, they couldn’t be bothered and they wanted more than Who Consultants Rider Levett Bucknall and ThomsonAdsett
say a 20% stake.” From Brisbane
Mr Cassell said one local company which has had success
through a joint venture is Koppens Developments. “Koppens Cairns South Health Facility
Developments did it with Georgio Construction on Ray Jones Who Consultants Peddle Thorp and Harvey Brisbane
Drive (stage 4 of the Southern Corridor Project),” he said. Surveyor WTPartnership
“They’ll now win a $50 million project because director Scott From Brisbane
Koppen is developing that position for his company.” Who Project manager AECOM
From USA-owned with Cairns office
1. Cairns Southern Access Corridor project

Skills shortage • Wall and floor tilers • Contract, program and
project administrators
Construction Skills Queensland • Glaziers • Floor finishers
(CSQ) is estimating up to 10% of • Structural steel
construction workers
construction workers will have to be Tradies needed • Painters
sourced from outside of Far North • Plasterers • Paving and surfacing
Queensland over the next four years, • Electricians labourers
because of a local skills shortage. • Plumbers Source: Economic Development Queensland

61 • tropicnow.com.au