The Melbourne Convention Centre was declared Australia’s most outstanding example of construction excellence at the 2010 Australian Construction Achievement Award (ACAA) in Brisbane last night, Thursday 20 May.

The annual ACAA was hosted by Mr Wal King AO, President of the Australian Constructors Association, and Professor Doug Hargreaves, National President of Engineers Australia, with the Premier of Queensland, the Hon Anna Bligh, joining over 400 guests to recognise and celebrate the construction excellence of the seven finalists.

In accepting the award, John Flecker, Joint Managing Director, Construction and Development for Brookfield Multiplex, said, “Brookfield Multiplex is pleased to accept this award. We worked closely with Plenary to achieve the world’s first 6 Star Green Star convention and exhibition centre. It provides state-of-the-art, sustainable, facilities and has achieved positive urban design outcomes, including improved connectivity to the city and surrounds.”

The project, on the banks of the Yarra River, achieved the world’s first 6 Star Green Star design rated convention centre by incorporating numerous innovations not seen before in public buildings of this scale. It features comprehensive air displacement systems, hydronic heating and cooling, maximum use of natural daylight and carefully selected environmentally sensitive materials.

The signature Plenary Hall, with a capacity of 5,600 seats, incorporates a fully automated reconfigurable seating system for rapid mode change from flat exhibition space to raked auditorium for the front 1,500 seats.

The addition of a suspension footbridge across the Yarra River now links the Convention Centre to Docklands and provides a new link to this important growth area of the city. The project was completed ahead of time and within budget.

The Chair of the 2010 ACAA judging panel, Professor Michael Dureau, said, “The Convention Centre had been built in an incredibly short time frame in the most complex of crowded urban surrounding, and had delivered Australia’s best convention and exhibition complex in an environmentally sensitive and function friendly way.

“Also, all seven finalists have created benchmarks for future projects to emulate, and all project teams understood and were committed to delivering excellent outcomes for the client, stakeholders and the environment.”

The other six finalists were:

Bogong Hydro Electric Scheme, VIC – McConnell Dowell Constructors (Aust) P/L.

The Bogong Power Project, located high in the Alpine district near Falls Creek in Victoria, is the largest hydro-electric power station built in Australia in the last 25 years. It will provide 140MW of ultra-fast response power for Victoria’s energy grid and will abate 96,000 tonnes per annum of green house gases.

Green Square Corporate Office Park, Brisbane – Leighton Contractors P/L.

Comprising two office towers and a connecting pocket park and plaza, the $150 million project accommodates over 40,000m2 A-Grade commercial office space with hi-tech utility facilities, retail and restaurants. The towers supply 70% of its own peak power needs while producing 75% less carbon emissions than a comparable conventional building.

Karuah to Bulahdelah Pacific Highway Upgrade, NSW – Abigroup Contractors P/L.

The $257million project involved the construction of 23 kms of separated dual carriageway fundamentally along the existing Pacific Highway alignment, including new intersections and seven twin-bridges over various creek crossings. Environmental challenges included the protection of Myall Lakes National Park and Ramsar Wetland.

New Perth Bunbury Highway, WA – Southern Gateway Alliance.

The highway is the largest public road infrastructure project ever undertaken in Western Australia. It forms the vital link between the two largest cities in WA, reducing travel time for up to 30,000 vehicles per day by approximately 30 minutes. The project consisted of 71 kms of dual carriageway (32 kms to freeway standard), 19 bridges, 6 interchanges, 32 kms of shared paths, and numerous pedestrian and fauna underpasses.

One Shelley Street, King Street Wharf, Sydney – Brookfield Multiplex Constructions P/L.

Featuring an external diagrid structure and internal atrium, the 35,000 sqm, eleven story building is a remarkable visual landmark. The external diagonal steel grid structural system sits beyond the building’s glass façade, eliminating the need for perimeter columns and maximizing flexibility of the internal floor space. The property achieved a 6 Star Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia.

The Kurilpa Bridge – Brisbane – Baulderstone P/L.

The pedestrian and cycle bridge is a fusion of art and science to create a unique structure inspired by the concept of tensegrity, a modern art form and structural system to achieve a world first design feat. The $63.3 million cross-river bridge links the CBD to South Bank and in time will cater for 36,000 pedestrians and cyclists each week.

Further information about the ACAA and the projects is at www.acaa.net.au

Media Contact: John Bright – 0407 234 490 / jbright@engineersaustralia.org.au