Business
1 October, 2025
Library costs extra $700,000
THE cost of the Smithfield library upgrade has blown out by almost $700,000 to $1.66 million.
Cairns Regional Council has awarded a $1.27m contract to Osborne Construction Solutions to deliver the major refurbishment of the city’s second busiest library.
The adopted budget was $970,378 and a council report said the tendered prices “reflect a difficult market where construction costs have escalated significantly in the past four or more years”.
The project will modernise the 37-year-old facility, last upgraded in 2007. Key upgrades include new furniture and fixtures, expanded technology such as automatic book returns and improved self-service kiosks and redesigned spaces for children and collaborative learning. The collection size will also double.
The project means the closure of the library until June 30 next year.
Division 2 councillor Matthew Tickner sought assurances at last week’s council meeting that overdue work on the Edmonton library was not shelved in favour of Smithfield and would be prioritised in the 10-year capital works program.
