Probuild Appointed to Biggest Excavation Job in Queensland's History

Destination Brisbane Consortium has announced Probuild as the successful tenderer for the Queen’s Wharf Brisbane integrated resort development excavation works package. 

Demolition work for the $3 billion development is nearing completion, and Destination Brisbane Consortium program director Simon Crooks said the undertaking will be the largest city-based excavation project to occur in Queensland.

More than 450,000 cubic metres of materials will be removed to make way for the future Queen’s Wharf Brisbane integrated resort development basement.

The next closest comparison would be The Myer Centre basement excavation, which had previously held the record at 375,000 cubic metres.

"The scale of excavation for the site was unprecedented for a Queensland city centre," Crooks said.

[Related reading: Royal Treatment: Queens Wharf Urban Design Masterplan Unveiled]

Crooks said the decision was made following a competitive tender process and a rigorous assessment period.

“Probuild is a national company with experience in delivering some of the state’s largest construction projects,” he said.

“We have now worked with them first hand through the demolition work they are currently undertaking and have confidence in their ability to seamlessly execute on the excavation works package."Excavation will take approximately 18 months and will be followed by foundation work.

“To be involved again, in the state’s biggest-ever CBD basement retention and excavation project, is an achievement for Probuild," Probuild Queensland managing director Jeff Wellburn said.

[Related reading: Queens Wharf Priority Development Area Approved]"Queens Wharf is an important part of our city’s history and we’re proud to be delivering the next stage of it.”

Destination Brisbane Consortium is delivering the $3 billion Queen's Wharf development, which will cover more than 26 hectares across land and water.

When complete, Queen's Wharf will feature 50 new restaurants and bars, more than 1,000 premium additional hotel rooms, and 2,000 residential apartments. It will also reactivate some of the city’s most significant heritage buildings and provide more than 2,000 jobs during peak construction and 8,000 operational jobs.

Other key features of the project include a 100 metre-high Sky Deck, 12 football fields of public space and a new pedestrian bridge from the CBD to South Bank.

Work began earlier this year to demolish three former government buildings, including the architecturally-significant Neville Bonner building.

When the core of the development is complete in 2022, the basement excavation will provide thousands of carparks that provide direct access to the Queen’s Wharf Brisbane precinct.

Excavation work is expected to begin in early 2018.