Queens Wharf

LOCATION: Brisbane CBD

TYPE OF PROJECT: Integrated resort development

YEAR(S): 2016 – 2024

CLIENT: Multiplex

CONSTRUCTION VALUE: $3B (total project)

Queens Wharf Brisbane is one of the most significant construction projects in Queensland’s history — a $3 billion integrated resort development spanning more than 12 hectares of prime CBD land along the Brisbane River. Delivered by the Destination Brisbane Consortium, the project transforms a previously underutilised precinct into a world-class destination for tourism, entertainment, dining and accommodation, weaving contemporary architecture together with beautifully restored heritage buildings to create something truly landmark for the city.

Cogent Scaffolding’s involvement with Queens Wharf began years before the major contract was awarded. We were on site completing early works from the outset, building our understanding of the project’s complexity and our relationship with the Multiplex team. Securing the major scaffolding contract was the result of two years of intensive negotiation, hundreds of hours of behind-the-scenes work from our team, and a demonstrated capability to take on a project of this scale and duration. Nothing was guaranteed — a project of this magnitude demands that every tenderer prove their depth in planning, resource management, and delivery. When the contract was finally awarded in April 2020, it represented one of the most significant wins in Cogent’s history.

The scope of scaffolding works across the project was extraordinarily broad. Over the course of our time on site, the Cogent team designed, supplied, erected, and managed virtually every type of scaffolding system in our repertoire — perimeter scaffolding, access scaffolding, birdcage systems, cantilevered scaffold, hung stairs, form support, construction stairs, stretcher stairs, bridges, and extensive handrail installations. The volume of handrail alone, if laid end to end, would stretch the entire length of Australia’s coastline.

What made Queens Wharf uniquely complex was its scale within a scale. The project is not one site — it is effectively nine major projects operating simultaneously within a single precinct. The Integrated Resort Development itself is divided into five distinct construction zones. Beyond that, the Public Realm waterfront and three heritage building restorations — the Printery, DPI, and Harris Terrace buildings — each demanded their own scaffolding strategies, sequencing, and dedicated teams. Managing this required a robust operational structure: each zone had its own Leading Hand and crew, overseen by a Site Supervisor, all coordinating under a dedicated Project Manager. One Contract Administrator worked exclusively on Queens Wharf full-time — a commitment that reflects the sheer administrative and logistical weight of the project.

At peak activity, Cogent staff were working alongside approximately 200 Multiplex personnel on site daily. That level of interface creates constant demand — site instructions, design queries, engineering sign-offs, safety observations, and day-to-day coordination with trades across every zone. Staying on top of it while keeping all nine areas of the project moving was a genuine test of our project management capability, and one our team met consistently across eight years on site.

The challenges we navigated throughout the project were significant. Design changes were a constant, requiring rapid re-engineering and resequencing of scaffold across multiple areas simultaneously. Coordinating engineering sign-offs across complex and evolving structures demanded close collaboration with structural engineers and the Multiplex team. Labour coordination across nine zones — ensuring the right crew numbers, the right skill sets, and the right equipment were in the right place at the right time — required daily planning discipline that never let up for the duration of the project.

Through all of it, Queens Wharf was run safely, cleanly, and professionally. There were no major safety incidents across the life of the project — an achievement that speaks to the culture and standards of every person on the Cogent team, from the scaffolders on the ground to the project managers in the office. For a project of this size, duration, and complexity, that record is something we are genuinely proud of.

Queens Wharf is now open and has already redefined Brisbane’s profile as a global destination. Cogent Scaffolding is proud to have been part of delivering it.