Sugarworld set for Christmas reopening
On track: Steven Allen is one of the many working on the $5 million overhaul of Sugarworld Water Park. The construction is on schedule to reopen in December. Picture: TOM LEE
Only a few weeks ago, the busy worksite barely resembled the popular water park that was torn down last year when cracks were discovered on some slides.But with fibreglass slides, 20 tonnes of steel and 300cu m of concrete now on the site, the attraction is on track to reopen in December.
Cairns Regional Council’s sport and recreation team leader, Tim Dendle, monitors the Edmonton site regularly and said the pace of progress had been startling recently."It looks like it’s happened overnight," he said."They’ve done all of the trunk and underground infrastructure in the background, and now that they’ve put up the steel and the slides are coming in, it’s starting to take shape."We’re definitely on target to open in mid-December as planned."
Mr Dendle said it was unlikely that wet weather would pose much disruption to the work that needed to be done before the opening."It’s just connection and landscaping that needs to be done (on the main slides) and no amount rain between now and December will stop that."
The three main slides included in the overhaul are almost complete. But work was stalled last month on the kids interactive play system – to bring the design and equipment up to the toughest safety standards. Mr Dendle said the kids area, which is likely to be finished by February, would be the biggest built by a local government.
"There might be comparable ones at Dreamworld and Wet ‘n’ Wild," he said, referring to theme parks on the Gold Coast. "But nothing this big has been installed by a council." The project has already created 75 jobs for locals including engineers, architects, painters and labourers. The principal contract was awarded to Cairns firm Michael Camporeale Builders.
________________ | _________________
If proper periodical inspections were conducted during the working life of the complex there is every chance that this expenditure of money and closure could have been avoided. This is not only a reflection on the Officers of the Council but also on the Councillor that represents the Division.
This is an example of what happens when the Council and Councillors take their eye off the ball and instead are preoccupied with political infighting and posturing.
Its time that the slate was wiped clean of this dysfunctional Council.
Ross Parisi
12th october 2011
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.