Cairns Cabinet visit: Convention Centre sod turning goes wrong
It was smooth sailing as the Premier led a seven-way sod turning ceremony at the Cairns Convention Centre — but then the situation took a horrific twist. WATCH THE VIDEO
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THERE is very little that can go wrong with a sod turning ceremony, that beloved ritual executed with an inordinate sense of glee by politicians across the globe.
It is a simple process — plant shovel in ground, wait for the count of three and chuck some dirt into the air for the snapping cameras.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was leading a mammoth seven-way soil show at the Cairns Convention Centre redevelopment site on Wednesday when the only fathomable thing that could go wrong, did.
Cairns Regional Council Mayor Bob Manning diligently shoved his spade into the earth but pulled the handle back up with the business end still in the ground.
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A replacement was quickly lobbed into his grip, but everyone was thoroughly impressed.
“I’ve never been to a sod turn where the shovel has broken, and Mayor, you’ve got some extra strength there,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“Today takes the cake, I’ve never seen that before.”
It remains to be seen whether that new-found respect for Cr Manning’s upper body strength translates into the State Government contributing its one-third share in long-awaited funding for the $40 million Cairns Gallery Precinct.
Work is already well under way on the Cairns $176 million Cairns Convention Centre upgrade and expansion project, but this week’s Cabinet visit was the Premier’s first chance to see the site in person.
Up until Wednesday, only upgrades of the existing facilities have been undertaken.
Now the expansion phase has begun.
Ms Palaszczuk brushed off criticism that big southern companies were winning too many major contracts and subcontracting to locals.
“We’ve just met local workers on the local project,” she said.
“That’s what people want to see.
“They want to see local people get the employment here.
“And $176 million is a big investment in Cairns.
“This is going to be a fantastic convention centre. It has been, it’s going to be expanded and it’s exactly what Cairns and the Tropical Far North need.
“This is to kickstart tourism when we can get to that stage when people can freely come.”
Cairns MP Michael Healy said 223 of the 256 workers inducted on site called Cairns home — or 87 per cent of the workforce.
The government has set a Buy Queensland procurement target of at least 85 per cent local workers.
“There will be 570 people working on this site between now and final completion of the expansion in 2022,” Mr Healy said.
Public Works Minister Mick de Brenni suggested the revamped facility could be in the running to win its hat-trick third award for world’s best convention centre.
“It’s not hard to figure out why the Tropical North is a world-famous conference destination,” he said.
“Key features of this new phase include a large undercover, tropically planted drop-off and entry forecourt, an expanded main entry lobby, a 410-seat plenary lecture space, three 120-seat meeting rooms and new exhibition space for up to 30 display booths.
“With works starting today on the new expansion, we’ve got local tradies delivering the world’s best for Cairns, which we’re hoping will catapult it to World’s Best Congress Centre for the third time.”
Originally published as Cairns Cabinet visit: Convention Centre sod turning goes wrong