Brisbane’s Queen’s Wharf integrated resort has fired up Queensland companies and workers, who have flooded the project with offers of work since the winning bidder was announced.
Echo Entertainment Group, the Australian company leading the redevelopment, has had so many enquiries it has set up a special hotline and email address to track potential contractors and workers.
The mammoth project is expected to create more than 2000 jobs during construction and another 8000 when it opens in 2022, making Echo one of the state’s biggest companies and largest employers.
The company has had dozens and dozens of approaches from companies and individuals from university engineering students to legal firms, recruiters, sculpture artists, stone suppliers, boat builders, jetty consultants, landscape architects, property developers and conference organisers.
Echo Entertainment Group’s managing director and chief executive officer Matt Bekier says the release of the Destination Brisbane Consortium’s architectural plans for the Queen’s Wharf site created a buzz.
“I think the response we’ve had to the design has been extremely positive,’’ he said.
“The enquiries we’ve had from uni students – engineers and architects who want to join the project and be part of leaving this legacy behind have been quite touching.
“It’s obviously meant a lot to a lot of people.’’
Although construction isn’t due to start until 2017 and the resort won’t open until 2022, Echo’s next generation of workers will start training in the coming months with the opening of the Queensland Hotel and Hospitality School.
