Local workers praised for CPAC success

Local contractors are being congratulated for their contribution to the largest public building project in decades.

Mayor Bob Manning said most of the 1464 people employed in the construction of the Cairns Performing Arts Centre (CPAC) were sourced from the local area.

“About 90 per cent of the workforce was from Cairns, with the remainder comprising specialised jobs that weren’t available within the local area,” he said.

“We’ve worked with about 60 local businesses and, of the $58 million spent on construction, more than $52 million has been invested locally.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate and thank everyone who has worked on what is the largest public building project for this city in many years.

“It’s taken a tremendous team effort to make CPAC happen and every single contributor deserves to feel proud of what has been achieved.”

The initial construction contract was awarded in December 2015 and work started on site in May 2016.

The building has a total floor space of 7385 square metres and was constructed using 14,000 tonnes of concrete and 500 tonnes of steel. Foundations were constructed six metres below ground level and 240 piles were installed to support the building.