Marrara Cyclone Shelter, Darwin NT

The residents of Darwin are all too familiar with the potentially destructive forces of cyclones, having suffered through extreme events such as Cyclone Tracey in 1974 and the more recent devastating impacts of Cyclone Marcus in 2018. While people can stay in their own home if they have an appropriately protected space, more community facilities are being built to ensure residents have a safe place to go if they need it.

There are now 12 community cyclone shelters scattered across the city area, including this latest addition at Marrara, just 10 minutes from the Darwin CBD. While the centre’s day-to-day use is as a Sikh temple, it has been designed with the dual purpose of serving as a cyclone shelter when required. Jointly financed by donations from the Sikh community and government funding, the project’s builder, McT Design & Construct, recently received a Master Builders Association award for the project.

Contributing to the building’s cyclone-proof credentials are Alspec Invisi-Maxx stainless steel security screens affixed to the property windows and doors. Given winds can reach up to 280km per hour in cyclone conditions, such screens are essential to prevent injury to both people and property. The added advantage of Invisi-Maxx screens is that they provide permanently in place protection, without compromising light and views and most importantly maintaining air-flow.

Described as a high performance debris screen, Invisi-Maxx screens were developed by Alspec to specifically respond by the force of windborne items by dissipating the energy from an impact and preventing debris from entering a building. The screens are constructed from corrosion resistant 316 marine grade stainless steel, attached to a heavy duty frame through a patented mesh retention system. The 1.2mm mesh screens exceed the relevant Australian Standards, having been demonstrated to withstand the impact of a projectile travelling at up to 44m/s.

With up to eight cyclone days predicted each season, often with very little warning, the residents of Darwin now have access to a facility which can provide them with a safe and secure environment until a cyclone passes.