The Queensland Government has opened tenders for the demolition of the GoPrint building four years after the company's closure, to make way for the Woolloongabba station of the new Cross River Rail.
Jackie Trad, Queensland's Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, said the demolition of the Woolloongabba building, bounded by Vulture, Stanley and Main streets, will be a milestone in the construction of Cross River Rail. “I want to see local contractors involved in this milestone that marks the start of onsite works for the historic Cross River Rail project,” she said.
The Palaszczuk Labor government fully funded the $5.4 billion second river crossing after the previous Newman administration shelved the project. “Cross River Rail is essential to boost the capacity of our rail network, reduce journey times and put on extra train services for commuters, particularly in the outer regions. We have worked with the Brisbane City Council to integrate the Brisbane Metro with Cross River Rail and together they will enable a high frequency public transport system for our growing population," Trad said.
GoPrint ceased commercial printing operations in mid-2012, winding up completely at the beginning of 2013 - a decision Bruce Flegg, then Queensland Housing and Public Works Minister, said was due to significant losses suffered by the printer in previous years. “The reality is that the printing industry has changed dramatically in the last five years with far less material actually printed in this digital era. GoPrint’s commercial printing operations are just not sustainable in a competitive environment," Flegg said in July 2012.
The tender for GoPrint's demolition will close at the end of this month, with the winner to be announced in mid-September.