ABC Mackay moves to new premises

ABC Tropical North yesterday officially launched their brand new purpose-built facility in Mackay, with the ABC's Managing Director Mark Scott visiting the market to officially open the building.

For years, ABC Tropical North has been in River Street which, as the name suggests, faces Mackay's Pioneer River. The location, on River Street, is subject to flooding during extreme weather events.

In 2008, the station was flooded with 600 millimetres of rain in 6 hours and taking the station off the air.

The new building is only a couple of streets away in Wellington Street, however away from the perils of an overflowing river.

It has been built to withstand a category 4 cyclone, and is 1 metre above the recommended height for a '1 in a 100 year flood'.

Watch an extraordinary timelapse video of the build of the facility, courtesy of ABC Open Producer Daniel Battley.

ABC Tropical North is the second new Mackay radio facility in the last year, with Prime Radio's 4MK and Zinc FM moving into new purpose-built facilities in 2012 (see here).