Mackay Police Station
Project: External repainting of Mackay Police Station
Location: Mackay, Queensland
Client: Queensland Police Service
Duration: Four weeks
Crew: Three painters with three Elevated Work Platforms (EWPs)
“Excellent attention to detail” contributed to an outstanding result during a Grant Painters’ comprehensive repaint of the Mackay Police Station, which remained fully operational throughout the month-long project.
The work included treatment of mould growth, corrosion protection, repainting of steelwork and rendered surfaces, refurbishment of the vehicle wash bay, concrete walkway recoating, and remarking of the rear car park.
According to Senior Sergeant Chris O’Keefe, the Brief Manager responsible for overseeing the work: “Throughout the project, Grant Painters demonstrated a high level of professionalism, planning and communication.
“It was evident that considerable thought had been given to staging the works, maintaining a safe environment and working around the unique demands of a 24-hour policing facility,” he said.
“The works were carefully coordinated to ensure the station remained fully operational, with minimal disruption to staff, members of the public and daily policing activities.
Sen Sgt O’Keefe said the work had “significantly enhanced the appearance and presentation of the facility”.
“It’s a credit to the entire team.”
The Challenge
Years of exposure to Mackay’s tropical climate had resulted in widespread paint failure on the rendered Besser Block, along with rust on steel componentry.
The southern elevation of the building had experienced significant mould growth due to its proximity to large fig trees, while limited sunlight on the eastern side had also accelerated fungal development.
Peeling paint across the rendered facade and steel components required substantial surface preparation before any coating system could be applied.
Operational constraints added another level of complexity. As a functioning police station, the facility remained fully operational throughout the project, requiring the painting team to work around daily police activities while maintaining public safety.
Traffic permits were obtained to temporarily cordon sections of the footpath. The team continually managed pedestrian movements around work areas and elevated work platforms.
The project adopted a colour scheme developed by the Grant Painters team for the recently completed Townsville station, ensuring a consistent aesthetic.
The Mackay project involved:
- Exterior repainting of all rendered walls
- Industrial mould treatment
- Rust treatment and corrosion protection
- Preparation and repainting of structural steelwork
- Vehicle wash bay restoration
- Repainting of gutters, fascias and downpipes
- Repainting Besser Block walls
- Repainting Colorbond boundary fencing
- Recoating rear concrete walkways with a non-slip polyurethane system
- Remarking the rear bitumen car park
“From managing pedestrian access to the station at all times on one of Mackay’s busiest streets, to technical challenges in manoeuvring our EWPs between tall trees on the southern side of the building, the project wasn’t straightforward,“ said Grant Painters supervisor Mick Hudson.
“Some parts of the building were hard to reach. Positioning the arms of our spider lifts between the branches of the trees required a fair bit of dancing around.
“Mackay’s strong sea breezes were also a constant consideration – even when rolling the exterior walls due to the proximity of vehicles belonging to police as well as the general public.
“One of the keys to the success of this job was also the attention to prepping, given the mould on two sides of the building as well as peeling paint.
“We also had to be flexible, including quickly dismantling our EWPs to accommodate movement of police vehicles on site.”
To access the centre section of the northern wall, scaffolding was erected within the yard of an adjoining business.
Transformation complete, including a striking new colour scheme.
The results
Over approximately one month, a three-person crew successfully completed the extensive refurbishment while allowing the police station to remain fully operational.
The project delivered a fully restored external appearance, long-term corrosion protection for steel components, elimination of mould and improved durability through premium coating systems.
There was also minimal disruption to police operations and public access throughout.