Admiralty Towers, Mackay
With Christmas 2024 fast approaching, residents of Mackay’s Admiralty Towers – one of Queensland’s most sought-after waterfront precincts – were eager for their building to receive a fresh new look in time for the season.
Located beside the city’s international marina, the eight-storey complex comprises 16 luxury apartments, each offering sweeping views.
Thanks to the dedication and professionalism of Grant Painters, not only was the job finished on time, but the experience brought residents and the painting crew closer together. According to the Body Corporate chairperson, the project resulted in the formation of many firm friendships.
Reaching every corner: Abseilers were brought to reach a small section of the building.
The challenges and solutions
This was the second time Grant Painters had been entrusted with painting the complex, having previously completed the job 11 years ago.
As with any multi-storey apartment block, gaining access to elevated surfaces is a key challenge – especially given the building’s proximity to established landscaping and marina-front trees.
The harbourside facade, in particular, posed difficulties due its position amongst dense greenery, making it difficult to use elevated work platforms.
Mackay debut: Grant Painters’ largest spider lift, the Cela Spyder 350, in action at the eight-storey Admiralty Towers.
The company deployed its largest spider lift – the 35-metre Cela Spyder 350 – for the first time in Mackay. This advanced elevated work platform ensured safe and efficient access to most areas, while abseilers were brought in for a period of about a week for other sections.
The addition of the abseilers meant that the gardens went undisrupted.
Incredible reach: Grant Painters’ Cela Spyder 350 extends to 35 metres, around 11 storeys high.
A premium two-coat Dulux Acratex system was applied, providing a durable and weather-resistant finish suited to the coastal environment. Grant Painters also took the extra step of liaising directly with Dulux to work through the product specifications – an action that representatives of the paint manufacturer described as rare and commendable among painting contractors.
Admiralty Towers Body Corporate Chairperson Paul Porter said: “Dulux Brisbane called us at one point to say that Grants had called them to go through the specs – which they said was very rare for a painting company to do.
“Stuart, the owner of Grant Painters, also met us several times on site to go through the project step by step. That gave us a lot of confidence the job was being done right.”
Strong leadership was another key to the project’s success, with Mr Porter praising the communication skills of site foreman Nathan Booth.
“On projects of this size, this rarely go smoothly. We had 16 unit owners – all with different personalities – yet Nathan had them eating out of the palm of his hand.
“The workmanship was first class. We’re extremely happy with the result and many friendships were made with the painters on site.
“We highly recommend Grant Painters for any painting needs.”
“A job done right”: Body Corporate chairperson Paul Porter.
The results
All up, 1900 hours were invested in the project, covering the complete exterior including balconies.
The façade was given a contemporary colour update – the previous shade of pale cream was replaced with Colorbond Surfmist, while trims were modernised from blue to basalt.
Powdercoated railings were expertly brushed and rolled with an industrial-grade polyurethane two-pack system, while all mastic caulking was meticulously removed and replaced at the junction of floor and walls of all balconies as part of meticulous attention to detail.
According to Nathan: “Direct communication with all parties is a key part of ensuring a project of this size goes well.
“We drew up a scheduled plan for each level of the building. The Body Corporate chairperson Paul was extremely helpful in relaying that to the residents and also putting us in contact with them.
“On a personal level, it provides a great deal of satisfaction when it all comes together.”
The Project at a glance
Project Name: Admiralty Towers Repaint
Location: Mackay, Queensland
Client: Admiralty Towers Body Corporate
Duration: Completed in the lead-up to Christmas 2024
Building: 8 storeys | 16 luxury apartments
Scope: Full exterior repaint, including balconies, railings, trims, and mastic replacement
Highlights:
- Project delivered on time for festive season celebrations
- Use of Grant Painters’ 35m Cela Spyder 350 – its first deployment in Mackay
- Abseiling team engaged to access difficult, landscaped marina-facing sections
- Dulux Acratex two-coat system applied for long-lasting, weather-resistant finish
- Full removal and replacement of mastic caulking on all balconies
- Railings recoated with industrial-grade polyurethane two-pack system
- Strong emphasis on client communication, planning, and minimal disruption
Key Outcomes:
- Overcame complex access issues with combined EWP and abseil strategy
- Zero disruption to established landscaping and gardens
- Direct liaison with Dulux ensured full technical compliance with specification
- Praised by Body Corporate for workmanship, leadership, and relationship-building
- Created strong rapport between painting team and residents