A one-of-a-kind tourist attraction in Queensland’s north has taken out the top honour at Master Builders Queensland’s Housing & Construction Awards. This year’s Awards theme was ‘Celebrating building communities, celebrating you’.
The work FK Gardner & Sons did on Australia’s first new aquarium in 18 years, Cairns Aquarium, was recognised as Project of the Year and for the Tourism and Leisure Facilities over $10 million award category. The $38 million infrastructure project has provided a major boost to local tourism in Cairns and showcases 15,000 aquatic animals, fish, plants, and other organisms which can only be found in Australia’s Wet Tropics.
The judges found that the project presented a high level of complexity, including an extremely large building footprint, and the coordination of on schedule manufacture of key components. The aquarium’s design incorporated an acrylic tunnel through the main reef tank, an elevated viewing platform to a 10-metre-deep reef tank, a freshwater ‘river monsters’ tank and a number of reef and freshwater stream exhibits.
In the Housing category, Gold Coast-based company, D T L Constructions were awarded House of the Year, as well as Individual Home over $2 million and Best Residential Bathroom, with their Sanctuary Cove home, Villa Florentine.
Master Builders’ CEO, Grant Galvin, said that from health facilities, schools, shopping centres and libraries, to waterfront mansions, contemporary designs and affordable luxury, this year’s winners have helped to shape and grow Queensland towns and communities.
“They are a true celebration of what our diverse industry is capable of.”
Mr Galvin further commented that the judges had a very tough job on their hands this year due to the high calibre of entries.
“It’s humbling that after more than 30 years, the Housing & Construction Awards continue to be the pinnacle achievement sought-after by the state’s top builders and tradespeople,” he shared.
Further details on Master Builders Queensland’s Housing & Construction Awards can be found here.
Below is a list of all Commercial, Individual and Trade Contractor/Specialty winners:
Construction
- Health Facilities up to $20 million – Paynter Dixon Queensland Pty Ltd for Townsville Hospital Clinical Services Department (Douglas, Townsville)
- Health Facilities over $20 million – Cockram (Qld) Pty Ltd for Brisbane Private Hospital In-Patient Unit Facility (Spring Hill, Brisbane)
- Education Facilities up to $10 million – Badge Constructions (Qld) Pty Ltd for Somerville House, Seymour Library (South Brisbane)
- Education Facilities over $10 million – ADCO Constructions Pty Limited T/A ADCO for Southern Cross University, Building C (Bilinga, Gold Coast)
- Sporting Facilities – Hansen Yuncken Pty Ltd for Carrara Sports Precinct Projects (Carrara, Gold Coast)
- Community Service Facilities – Murchie Constructions Pty Ltd for Bundaberg Multiplex, Stage 2 (Bundaberg)
- Retail Facilities up to $5 million – Leith Mitchell T/A Leith Mitchell Builder for Northerlies at Freedom Shores (Woodwark, Airlie Beach)
- Retail Facilities over $5 million – ADCO Constructions Pty Limited T/A ADCO for Willows Shopping Centre, Stage North Expansion (Thuringowa Central, Townsville)
- Tourism and Leisure Facilities up to $10 million – Ruby Developments Pty Ltd for Living Gems Pacific Paradise – Country Club (Pacific Paradise, Sunshine Coast)
- Tourism and Leisure Facilities over $10 million – FK Gardner & Sons for Cairns Aquarium (Cairns)
- Commercial Building up to $5 million – J Hutchinson Pty Ltd T/A Hutchinson Builders for Peregian Beach Digital Hub (Peregian Beach, Sunshine Coast)
- Commercial Building $5 million – $50 million – FDC Construction & Fitout (QLD) Pty Limited for NEXTDC B2 (Fortitude Valley, Brisbane)
- Commercial Building over $50 million – Laing O’Rourke Australia Construction Pty Ltd for International Terminal Building Northern Concourse Expansion (Brisbane Airport, Brisbane)
- Industrial Building up to $5 million – Clarke’s Project Management Pty Ltd T/A Clarke’s Design & Construct for Tekno Auto Racing – DUX76 (Yatala, Gold Coast)
- Industrial Building over $5 million – FDC Construction & Fitout (QLD) Pty Limited for Asahi Beverages Heathwood Logistics Facility (Heathwood, Brisbane)
- Residential Building (high-rise over 3 storeys) up to $20 million – Stokes Wheeler Pty Ltd for Main Beach Apartments (Main Beach, Gold Coast)
- Residential Building (high-rise over 3 storeys) over $20 million – Cavcorp Qld Pty Ltd for Lucent Gasworks (Newstead, Brisbane)
- Community Accommodation for Aged Care and Nursing Homes – Cockram (Qld) Pty Ltd for Regis Chelmer Aged Care Facility (Chelmer, Brisbane)
- Refurbishment/Renovation up to $750,000 – Askonstructions Pty Ltd T/A Hotondo Homes Toowoomba for Hotondo Homes Toowoomba – Office & Showroom (North Toowoomba)
- Refurbishment/Renovation over $750,000 – Lendlease Building Pty Ltd for NAB Place (Brisbane)
- Excellence in Energy Efficiency and Environmental Management – Jorgensens Pty Ltd for Loving Hearts Child Care Centre and Kindergarten (Currumbin Valley, Gold Coast)
- Excellence in Workplace Health and Safety – Laing O’Rourke Australia Construction Pty Ltd for Toolbox Spotter (Brisbane)
- Commercial Trade Contractor of the Year – Arden Architectural Pty Ltd for Aurizon (Fortitude Valley, Brisbane)
Trade Contractor/Specialty
- Best Residential Bathroom – D T L Constructions Pty Ltd for Villa Florentine (Sanctuary Cove, Gold Coast)
- Best Residential Kitchen – Platinum Property Group Pty Limited T/A Platinum Residential Designer Homes for Home Waters (Twin Waters, Sunshine Coast)
- Best Residential Swimming Pool – Benjamin Young T/A Unique Pools for Bribie Contemporary (Banksia Beach, Brisbane)
Individual
- Apprentice of the Year – Matthew King (Camira, Ipswich) from Corella Construction Pty Ltd
- Rising Star – Robert Gray (Kenmore, Brisbane) from Graya Construction Pty Ltd
- Women in Building – Rachael Turner (Calamvale, Brisbane) from Yowassup Pty Ltd T/A Front Porch Properties
- Institute of Building Consultants – Andrew Mackie-Smith (Ashgrove, Brisbane) from BuildingPro Pty Ltd
- Diversity – MiHaven Pty Ltd (Cairns)
- People’s Choice – Corella Construction Pty Ltd for The Vine House (Bardon, Brisbane)
