Cairns Courthouse – Courtroom Dock Upgrades

Courtroom Dock Upgrades - Project 1

Completed 2022: Stage 1 Audio Visual Detainee Dock Upgrades to Courtrooms 6 and 2 at the Cairns Courthouse, including demolition and reconstruction of secure detainee docks with specialised glazing and lock systems, delivered outside court hours to ensure zero disruption to proceedings – Cairns City.

​Scope of Works

FCQ successfully completed the Stage 1 Detainee Dock Upgrades acrosstwo fully operational courtrooms at the Cairns Courthouse. The scope ofworks included demolition and reconstruction of the detainee docks,incorporating specialised security glazing and lock installations to meetstrict compliance and safety requirements.

The project was delivered within extremely tight timeframes, with all worksundertaken outside of court hours to ensure zero disruption toproceedings. Construction commenced on Friday evening, with bothcourtrooms fully operational again by Monday morning. FCQ coordinated multiple specialist subcontractors, including custom timber joinery andglazing contractors, with prefabricated metal framing systemsmanufactured off–site and assembled with precision on site, leaving noroom for error.

Additional works included the careful relocation of courtroom furniture andthe removal and replacement of carpets, all completed within a live, high–security environment. This project highlights FCQ’s ability to plan,coordinate, and deliver complex upgrades in operational governmentfacilities while maintaining the highest standards of quality, safety, andprogram certainty

Courtroom Dock Upgrades - Project 2

Completed 2024: Comprehensive detainee dock upgrades to Courtrooms 3, 4 and 5 at the Cairns Courthouse, including demolition, structural steel supports, custom high-end timber veneer joinery with specialised glazing, and significant electrical and services upgrades, all delivered within live court environments without disruption to operations.

​Scope of Works

​FCQ successfully completed comprehensive detainee dock upgrades across three fullyoperational courtrooms at the Cairns Courthouse. The works involved demolition, installationof structural steel supports, and the construction of custom high–end timber veneer joinerywith steel framing to accommodate specialised glazing. The project also included extensiveelectrical and services upgrades, including switchboard upgrades that required carefullymanaged critical shutdown procedures.

Courtroom 3 required significant additional structuralmodifications to the holding cell located behind the courtroom, making the scope of workssubstantially more complex than those undertaken in Courtrooms 4 and 5.Throughoutthe project, FCQ worked collaboratively with the client and nominatedsubcontractors to ensure all works were completed within strict timeframes and aligned withscheduled construction glazing, preventing any disruption to court operations.

The project required careful navigation of unforeseen site conditions, including the discovery of solidconcrete blockwork walls that were originally documented as timber in the scope of works.Additional challenges included patching existing carpets, modifying public seating areas, andmaintaining a clean, controlled environment in carpeted courtrooms where mess anddisruption were not acceptable. Despite these constraints, all works were delivered successfullywhile maintaining the integrity, cleanliness, and operational requirements of the courthouse

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