Gold Coast Airport and Lendlease are putting the call out to Year 3 students on the Gold Coast and Tweed to name the cranes at the airport’s southern terminal expansion.

Managed by leading construction firm Lendlease, work at Gold Coast Airport’s southern terminal expansion is well underway, with two nine-tonne cranes recently moved onto site following the completion of foundation works.

The cranes are central to the new terminal works, which, when complete, will see four aerobridges in place and a terminal area that is double the existing size.

Gold Coast Airport and Lendlease are now inviting all Year 3 pupils on the Gold Coast and Tweed, to name the crane.

The winners will have their chosen names displayed on each tower crane while it is on the construction site, and each winner’s primary school will receive a $1,000 voucher to buy new books.

Gold Coast Airport Chief Operating Officer Marion Charlton said the competition provided an opportunity for the community to get involved in what was a transformational development for the airport.

“It’s an exciting time for us at Gold Coast Airport, with our new southern terminal expansion paving the way for us to accommodate passengers well into the future and to enhance the customer experience,” she said.

“By 2037 we expect passenger numbers to have doubled and hopefully those students who named the cranes will be flying in and out of Gold Coast Airport regularly by then, on the way to holidays with their families and travel for work.

“This competition gives the Gold Coast and Tweed communities a great chance to be involved in the expansion of the airport, a vital economic hub for the region.”

Lendlease Building Queensland General Manager and Tweed Heads Public School past pupil, Brad Protheroe, said he was looking forward to seeing some great suggested names for the cranes from local students.

“As a past pupil of Tweed Heads Public School, I appreciate the importance of involving the local community on projects such as the airport expansion, not only through employment and procurement opportunities, but also education initiatives such as the Name the Crane competition,” he said.

“The competition is a great way to inform our neighbours about the project and get kids excited about engineering and construction.

“Last year, Lendlease took on 17 new property, construction and engineering graduates here in Queensland, with more than 50 per cent being female.”

It is estimated that 1500 jobs will be created by this $200 million project.

Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School’s Head of Junior School Mark Douglas said he was pleased to be participating in the competition.

“With our school only 15 minutes away, our community has many links with the airport, and I am sure the expansion will give benefits to a large number of families, particularly on the southern Gold Coast and northern New South Wales,” he said.

“The Name the Crane competition will certainly be popular with our students and I know our Year 3s are really keen to win the books for their school.”

To participate, students simply need to request a form from their teacher, colour it in, and return it to Gold Coast Airport, PO Box 112, Coolangatta, QLD 4225, by COB, Friday, 22 November 2019.

Entry is free and the winner, their teacher, principal and four guests will be invited to attend the Name the Crane ceremony.

The southern terminal expansion will cater for both international and domestic visitors and include four aerobridges and duty-free retail space, while a new outside forecourt area will feature landscaped gardens and a path linking the new Rydges Hotel to the terminal.

ENDS.

Attachments: Click here to download your entry form.