Update on Rookwood Weir construction, $70 million Cairns Hospital project, regional roadworks and more in this week’s round-up.

Tenders called for $70m mental health unit

Queensland Health is calling for tenders to build a new $70 million mental health unit as part of the ongoing expansion of Cairns Hospital.

“This new facility represents $70 million worth of investment and marks an important upgrade of local acute mental health services,” Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said.

“While the tender process and construction is underway, patients will continue to receive the mental health care they need in the existing Cairns Hospital.

“Patients and carers have provided input into the design of the new mental health facility which will provide a modern and therapeutic environment to help the recovery of mental health patients. We’re continuing to invest in additional services to hospital in Cairns, including a refurbishment to the existing ED.”

Pile drilling complete for cofferdam posts

Pile drilling is complete for 109 king posts which will support the cofferdam and protect the Rookwood Weir in-river works from inundation.

Rookwood Weir is being built on the Fitzroy River 66km south-west of Rockhampton at a cost of $367.2 million to help increase water security and drive new economic opportunities.

In an update this week, Sunwater said the pile drilling to 8m provided a base for the installation of the king posts, which are hollowed steel weighing one tonne and 15m in length.

They would create an anchor point for the cofferdam walls, with steel panels providing a protective barrier from rising river levels during the wet season, it said.

The first concrete pours for the foundations of the Rookwood Weir began last week in what was hailed as a major construction milestone for the project.

Prairie Creek crossing works get underway

A $10 million project is kicking off in North West Queensland to strengthen the pavement and widen a floodway at Prairie Creek, about 100km south of Torrens Creek off the Flinders Highway.

Flinders Shire Council crews are set to start construction on the Aramac – Torrens Creek Rd project this month and the work is set to continue until mid-2022.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Barnaby Joyce said the works would reduce current annual closures of Prairie Creek Crossing due to flooding.

“Our investment at Prairie Creek forms part of a larger program of works on the Aramac – Torrens Creek Rd,” he said.

“This investment will improve safety, efficiency and travel time reliability for the freight industry, tourists, and locals.

“As well as the $10 million Prairie Creek floodway upgrade, the Australian Government is also providing funding to progressively widen and seal the Aramac – Torrens Creek Rd.”

Project to stabilise Kuranda Range road

Contractor Uplift Safety is set to start work this month on a $240,000 project to make the Kennedy Highway safer between Cairns and Mareeba.

Member for Barron River Craig Crawford said the rehabilitation project would stabilise the slope and address erosion.

“Crews will secure loose rocks on the cliffside at two locations towards the bottom of the Kuranda Range,” he said.

“This will reduce the risk of falls onto the road through the installation of mesh and concrete retaining walls. The roadside will also be improved, with vegetation planned for removal.”

Mr Crawford said the project supported other targeted safety improvements currently being delivered on the Kennedy Highway.

“We’re delivering stage two of the $37.6 million Kennedy Highway upgrade between Mareeba and Tolga, supporting 121 jobs in the region.

“The rollout of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) technology is also underway between Smithfield and Rainforestation Nature Park, Kuranda.”

Report on crumb rubber binder specifications

Austroads has published the results of research which proposes a specification for the use of a binder containing crumb rubber in the construction of asphalt pavements.

Austroads Transport Infrastructure Program Manager Ross Guppy said there had been an increased focus on using sustainable and recycled materials for road construction and maintenance.

“The use of crumb rubber binders in road construction allows tyres which have reached their end‑of‑life to be used for productive outcomes, rather than sent to landfill or sent overseas where they are often burned,” he said.

Based on the research, specification limits for two new binder grades (S9R and A18R) have been proposed which could be included in a future version of ATS 3110.

“This is a large step towards enabling increased use of crumb rubber in road pavements,” Mr Guppy said.

Download: National Specification for Crumb Rubber Binders in Asphalt and Seals

Civil contractor fined over underpayment complaint

The Fair Work Ombudsman has secured a $20,000 penalty in court against a civil works company located in the Gold Coast hinterland region in Queensland.

The Federal Circuit Court has imposed the penalty against TKN Civil Works 2019 Pty Ltd, which is based at Maudsland and provides services such as earthmoving within the construction industry.

The penalty was imposed in response to the company breaching the Fair Work Act by failing to comply with a Compliance Notice.

The Court has also ordered TKN to take the action required by the Compliance Notice, which includes calculating and rectifying the underpayment owed to the worker in full, plus interest.

The Fair Work Ombudsman investigated after receiving a request for assistance from a worker who had been employed by TKN Civil Works 2019 Pty Ltd as an estimator/project manager.

A Fair Work Inspector issued a Compliance Notice to the company in November 2020 after forming a belief that the worker had not been paid his untaken accrued annual leave and leave loading entitlements when his employment ended in 2020.