NEWS

Global Equipment Arrives for Vision Groundworks

02 October 2007

Machinery is being shipped in from around the world as work surges ahead on Brisbane's tallest tower and largest mixed use development, the iconic $900 million Vision.

With Queensland's building boom, leading to a shortage of local equipment, machinery from countries including Malaysia, Italy, and Germany is being shipped in to help construct Vision – currently one of the largest tower projects in the country.

A 100-tonne driller, used in the $546 million Tugun Bypass road project, is also among the machines building the tower's retention wall system.

Developer Austcorp Group Limited has engaged Australia's leading privately-owned construction group, Grocon, to build the 287-metre development on a prime 5485 square metre site between Mary and Margaret streets in Brisbane's CBD.

Site works and the demolition of the on-site Vision display centre began in April this year and the builders will spend the next 12 months further excavating the site.

Grocon Executive Project Manager Frank Bortoletto said site retention and excavation works were under way to make way for a seven-level basement and the tower's foundations.

"This will be Queensland's largest residential, commercial, retail and tourism development and obviously a building of this scale and stature requires careful planning and a large amount of specialist machinery," Mr Bortoletto said.

"There is currently a shortage of specialist machinery in Queensland due to the rising number of projects so we are contracting the equipment in from overseas."

Equipment of the 100-tonne variety is being shipped to Brisbane in separate parts and re-assembled at the building site – taking up to five days for four men to rebuild.

Vision encompasses 407 residential apartments over 54 levels commencing from level 17 housing an estimated 1000 residents, and will also offer commercial workplaces consisting of 29,000 sqm of net lettable area over 15 stories, accommodating up to 1500 workers.

In addition to its apartments, offices, shops, restaurants and lifestyle facilities, Vision will have the city's first 24-hour concierge and will boast Brisbane's first observation deck tourist attraction.

Vision is expected to complete the office, retail and carpark in 2011. To date, Austcorp has secured $217 million in unconditional sales, or 254 apartments, in Vision – 62 per cent of the building's residential precinct.

Read more about Austcorp's Vision.
Go to the Vision Brisbane website atwww.visionbrisbane.com.au.