In a touching tribute to a beloved colleague who recently passed away, the crane that is helping to expand Hervey Bay Hospital has been lovingly named 'Wayne the Crane' in his honour.
Wayne Kuskie, a dedicated plumber at our Fraser Coast hospitals, devoted over 36 years to the health service after starting his apprenticeship in 1989, before his sad passing in February this year.
Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service Chief Executive Debbie Carroll said the health service was deeply moved by the outpouring of support from the community for the name ‘Wayne the Crane’.
“Wayne spent more than three decades as a dedicated member of our team, where he became known for not just for his excellent skills as a plumber, but for his warmth, humour and kindness,” Debbie said.
"Renowned for his larger-than-life personality, Wayne was often heard singing while he worked, sharing his infectious positivity and bringing joy to all those around him.
“His recent passing leaves a profound gap in the hearts of our WBHHS family.
“Having ‘Wayne the Crane’ proudly displayed on the crane for the duration of the project will serve a reminder of Wayne’s incredible legacy and his enduring impact on his workplace and community.”
WBHHS Project Director Alison Smith said the project team had been delighted with the response from local Fraser Coast students and the creative suggestions they had put forward.
“It was wonderful to have more than 70 students from local schools enter the competition and the level of creativity and consideration that went into each entry was impressive,” Alison said.
“I know the judging panel had an incredibly tough time narrowing the entries to a shortlist of four.
“The community also really embraced this engagement opportunity too, casting over 1,800 votes to select the winning name – ‘Wayne the Crane’ – a beautiful way to keep Wayne’s memory alive.
“A huge congratulations to Rose from Tinana State School, who submitted the winning name.
“Rose will receive a LEGO crane, water bottle, and her winning name displayed on the crane, generously donated by project contractor, Apollo Property Group.
“Also, thank you to our runners up, Isabelle, Samuel, Halayna, Charles and Noah, for their wonderful, shortlisted names of ‘Helper’, ‘Titan’ and ‘Atlas’.
“We thank everyone who took part in the competition – the students’ ideas remind us that our future is in great hands, and we look forward to seeing them take pride in this part of our hospital’s growth.”
Background
‘Wayne the Crane’ is helping to expand Hervey Bay Hospital by fitting out the vacant space on the second level of the emergency department building to house a new medical inpatient unit and relocated intensive care unit.
On top of this, a new rooftop helipad will be built, enabling patients to be transferred directly from the roof to the emergency department or intensive care unit.
Once built, the upgrades will enhance our ability to provide high-quality, timely care for critical patients, reduce wait times, and allow our medical professionals to focus on delivering patient-centred care.
Queensland contractor, Apollo Property Group, is delivering the Hervey Bay Hospital Expansion project.
‘Wayne the Crane’ fast facts:
- ‘Wayne the Crane’ is a Zoomlion TCT6513-8 Hammerhead crane.
- ‘Wayne the Crane’ is about 37m above ground level to the top of the jib.
- ‘Wayne the Crane’ can lift 1.58 tonne at full stick (60 metres).
- ‘Wayne the Crane’ can reach 60 metres.
- The crane operator climbs 114 steps inside the mast to reach the top of ‘Wayne the Crane’.