Hutchinson Builders go behind the scenes of Harristown shed where Wellcamp quarantine facilities were built

A shed in Harristown has been revealed as the site where 150 carpenters worked to build the 264 modular facilities that form the new Queensland Regional Accommodation Centre at Wellcamp. Here’s how the massive project came together.

From the outside, a nondescript shed in Harristown could be home to any number of manufacturing or constructions projects.

However, behind the doors of the Hutchinson Builders base of operations, a massive task has been met head on.

After the Queensland Government announced it had reached an agreement with land owner Wagner Corporation to build a 1000-bed quarantine facility at Wellcamp, the building firm was tasked with constructing 264 modular facilities to form the core of the Queensland Regional Accommodation Centre.

It has taken 150 staff, specialist design work and a unique production line but the Harristown shed has managed to produce four modules a day, at a rate of one every 2.5 hours.

Hutchinson Builders’ project manager Gavin Taylor said it has been a huge undertaking.

“One module is essentially a little house so it’s pretty crazy when you think that residential house can take 20 or 30 weeks to build,” Mr Taylor said.

The fast turnaround time has been made possible by a clever manufacturing style system.

The build process has been broken down into seven stages with the modular facilities put on tracks and wheeled through each trade station.

Hutchinson Builders’ project manager Gavin Taylor, team leader Sean Lees and contracts administrator Rian Cherry at the Harristown base of operations for their construction work putting together the modules that form accommodation at the Wellcamp quarantine facility.

Hutchinson Builders’ team leader Sean Lees said he’s amazed at what the local industry has been able to accomplish.

“As builders almost everything we ever construct is stationary so rethinking that by looking at it through a manufacturing lens has been pretty interesting,” he said.

“It’s certainly a unique project and it is very cool to be a part of this.”

Once complete, quality checked and furnished, the modular facilities are trucked to Wellcamp every morning to be handed over to Wagner Corporation.

Contracts administrator at Hutchinson Builders, Rian Cherry said they rang every carpenter within a 50km radius of Toowoomba to draw from the local employment pool.

“Typically, Monday to Friday we have approximately 150 people on site give or take a few, so it’s certainly a busy site,” he said.

Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise general manager of energy and infrastructure Lance MacManus said the economic benefits of this facility were enormous.

“I’m thrilled to see a local company providing employment and the chance to upskill workers,” he said

“Hutchinson Builders increased activity has also allowed the establishment of the modular industry to support further projects and Australian manufacturing for a product that’s in demand across the country.”

Mr Taylor said the project has expanded skillsets and changed the perception of what is possible.

“As an office our capacity has increased significantly and our reluctancy to say ‘no that’s impossible’ has almost vanished – anything is possible now,” Mr Taylor said.

Originally published as Hutchinson Builders go behind the scenes of Harristown shed where Wellcamp quarantine facilities were built