Vital repair works on the way for Albany Entertainment Centre after Colab Construction awarded $650k contract

Colab Constuction will use about 30,000 screws to secure panels of cladding and roofing during repairs on the Albany Entertainment Centre in the coming months.

The Albany company was awarded a $650,000 contract by the State Government this week for remedial works during which workers will be lifted to the peak of the AEC more than 40m high.

Colab director Adam Wheeler said he expected the job would take about three months depending on the weather.

He said his company had engaged local subcontractors who “are the best” in the field to help with the job “because it’s a pretty daunting task when you are standing down here looking up”.

“Access is the complexity for this job,” he said.

“With a boom lift, we will be able to safely fold everything up and batten down the hatches on the ground if there is a weather event coming in.

“We didn’t even want to consider using scaffolding, which is initially how they thought we would do it because that’s what they did during the build, but that was prior to having a roof on there.”

The work follows an engineering report completed late last year that found the building needed panelling having been battered by harsh waterfront conditions since opening in late 2010.

The State Government also has plans for a $20.7 million upgrade of the AEC.

Acting culture and arts minister Hannah Beazley said the scale of the works, including the planned upgrades underpinned how important the State Government considered regional venues.

She said Colab was a leading builder with an experienced team “and I’m looking forward to them completing these important roof repair works at our iconic Albany Entertainment Centre”.

Albany MLA Rebecca Stephens said she was pleased the work was being carried out to “ensure the Albany Entertainment Centre is able to stay open and operate for many years into the future”.

“It is such a popular venue for locals and visitors and the fact that local Aboriginal company Colab has been awarded the tender is just fantastic,” she said.