Queensland has had an ambitious prison plan underway since 2023 and has just awarded ACS the contract to renovate and expand the Townsville Correctional Centre, one of the largest in the country. The investment budget is around AUD 1 billion. Its subsidiary, CPB Contractors, will execute the works for slightly less—approximately AUD 730 million (around €450 million).
In collaboration with Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) and the Department of Housing and Public Works (DHPW), the scope of work includes 400 new beds across 200 additional cells.
Additionally, the contract covers the construction of new healthcare facilities, a laundry, staff dining halls, and a kitchen, as well as the remodeling of warehouses and the expansion of electronic security, primarily to prevent contraband from entering the prison.
In the past, CPB Contractors was responsible for modernizing the Lotus Glen and Capricornia correctional facilities.
So far this year, ACS has seen intense contracting activity in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region through the main companies of its subsidiary, Cimic. The Australian unit’s backlog reached €23.747 billion through June, an 11.6% increase compared to the previous year.
Just this week, ACS—through its subsidiary UGL—was selected by the Vocus group to install the first fiber optic network between Sydney and Melbourne to service the surging demand for AI and data centers. This new digital infrastructure project carries an investment budget of around AUD 500 million (approximately €300 million).
