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Winds Delay Removal of Snapped Southport Crane as Exclusion Zone Holds

Authorities plan a weather-dependent operation using two cranes to dismantle the unstable structure.

Overview

  • Police kept a Public Safety Preservation Act exclusion zone in place around Southport after a tower crane was badly damaged over a nearby caravan park.
  • Engineers and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland say the crane remains at risk of collapse, with strong winds preventing dismantling that could take days.
  • Holidaymakers were evacuated from 39 campsites at Broadwater Tourist Park and offered temporary accommodation, with emergency services reporting only minor injuries.
  • The Bureau of Meteorology identified the event as a localized microburst with gusts above 80 km/h, rejecting suggestions it was a tornado.
  • Multiple powerlines were brought down and tram services were suspended between Southport and Gold Coast University Hospital, and the crane struck an adjacent apartment building.