Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre faces extensive water damage after Christmas storms

The heart of cultural events in Mackay has faced extensive damage on Christmas Day, in what was qualified as a “real act of God”. Read what happened.

One of Mackay’s most important buildings has been extensively damaged in a combinaison of water damage and mechanical failure that was qualified as a “real act of God”.

One of Mackay’s most important buildings has been extensively damaged in a combination of water damage and mechanical failure that was qualified as a “real act of God”.

The Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre experienced one of the heaviest rains on Christmas Eve which ended in catastrophic water damage to the building.

Executive manager of events Andrew Bobeldyk explained that the building’s box gutters all overflowed into the building most likely on Christmas Eve, which extensively flooded parts of the building.

Mr Bobeldyk said that at the same time there had been a mechanical failure with the air conditioning, which meant that while the building was flooded, the air conditioning kept functioning, aggravating the damage.

Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre's auditorium is closed due to flooding.

“What’s more is that (the MECC) was closed from Christmas Day to January 2, which means no one was able to do anything during that time,” Mr Bobeldyk said.

“It’s a real act of God.”

Community Services Director Janine McKay said sections of the MECC most impacted were the auditorium, North Foyer and Lynette Denny Space and that it was not clear how long these parts of the centre might be closed for.

“We are still awaiting a final report on the remediation works required,” she said.

The MECC was flooded over the Christmas holidays and will need significant repairs.

While the Convention Centre will be reopened from next week, it is now a matter of moving around programmation for shows hosted in the auditorium, or consider having to cancel some of the events calendar.

“Our staff are contacting clients with upcoming bookings in affected areas to work with them on what arrangements can be made,” she said.

Mr Bobeldyk said that experts had come up to Mackay to assess the damage, but that remediating the damage would be a long process to make sure the mold would not come back.

“It has to be done properly, (the mould) never goes away unless you rectify the damage properly,” he said.

“We are trying to organise to move events that were in the auditorium to the Convention Centre as much as possible but not everything will fit in.”

The Convention Centre, which will re-open from next week, includes the plenary hall, meeting rooms and adjacent foyer.

Foodspace Mackay, which had temporarily relocated to the MECC North Foyer while works are being undertaken at Artspace Mackay, remains closed.