June 4, 2019
It’s been trading low-key since Friday but Kingaroy’s new Bunnings Warehouse was officially opened in style on Tuesday morning in a ceremony involving staff and invited local guests.
International cricket star Holly Ferling returned to Kingaroy to unveil the plaque and share some sporting anecdotes with the crowd.
Other guests included South Burnett and Cherbourg councillors, local suppliers and Bunnings’ Kingaroy employees.
Kingaroy complex manager Chris Carter said 18,000 work hours had gone into getting the store ready for opening, and a couple of thousand pallets of stock had been brought in through the back door.
Bunnings Director of Corporate Affairs & Business Development Clive Duncan said the Kingaroy store was Bunnings’ 47th warehouse in Queensland and the 268th across Australia and New Zealand.
“It is more than 7600sq m in size, and represents an investment of $17.4 million in the Kingaroy community,” Mr Duncan said.
There are more than 200 car parking spots in front of the building for customers to use.
Mr Duncan said the store also had a focus on sustainability.
“A few of the things that you might not notice … an 140,000 (litre) in-ground water tank to service the irrigation system in the nursery, energy efficient lighting in both car park and the nursery, and there are solar panels on the roof to service all the hot water requirements,” he said.
He said the 68 Kingaroy employees – including 59 new staff members hired locally – represented an investment in wages of more than $2 million in the first year alone.
“We feel very welcome in this community,” Mr Duncan said.
“Our Kingaroy Warehouse will become an integral part of the local community in many ways.
“Our team members live here, work here and raise their families here. It’s important that we contribute to the well-being of the community, its development and its success.”
The Bunnings team has already assisted a number of local projects: painting and gardening at the Hivesville QCWA; working on a kitchenette for the Kingaroy Red Ants; and building garden beds and planting vegetables at Taabinga State School.
Mr Carter said Bunnings was always on the lookout for opportunities to contribute to local causes.
“We look forward to providing assistance to more local community groups in the future,” he said.
The store will also provide ongoing support to community groups via their well-known sausage sizzles.
Another group happy with the Bunnings project in Kingaroy is the Clontarf Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that assists in the education and employment of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men.
Employment officer Marcus Priaulx said five employees – ie. almost 10 per cent of the work force hired locally in the South Burnett – had come via the Foundation.
Mr Duncan congratulated all the Kingaroy team members on what they had achieved ahead of the opening and wished them all future success.
“Early indications already suggest that this store is going to be fantastic from a trading perspective … enjoy and well done!” he said.
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What’s Happening
Friday, June 7
- 5:00pm-8:00pm: Jumping castle, face painting, popcorn, snow cones, slushies, fairy floss, photo booth, animal farm and Paw Patrol Show
- 8:00pm: Fireworks display
Saturday, June 8
- 9:00am-2:00pm: Jumping castle, face painting, popcorn, snow cones, slushies, fairy floss, photo booth and animal farm
- 11:00am–2:00pm: Sesame Street Meet and Greet (Zoe and Elmo)
Sunday, June 9
- 9:00am-2:00pm: Jumping castle, face painting, popcorn, snow cones, slushies, fairy floss, photo booth and animal farm
Saturday, June 15
- 9:00am–1:00pm: Jumping castle, face painting, popcorn, snow cones, slushies, fairy floss, photo booth and animal farm
- 11:00am–2:00pm: PJ Masks Meet and Greet
Sunday, June 16
- 9:00am–1:00pm: Jumping castle, face painting, popcorn, snow cones, slushies, fairy floss, photo booth and animal farm
