Reef HQ is a section of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and, in addition to being a tourist attraction, it is the National Reef Education Centre for the Great Barrier Reef. The aquarium, located on Flinders Street in the heart of Townsville CBD, was opened in 1987. After 33 years of operation the Site is affected by a harsh environment and is in urgent need of critical building works to remain open to the public into the future. After close collaboration with client and consultants and considering all safety and operational risks and insufficient infrastructure, the project has evolved from refurbishment to demolition and rebuild of a new Great Barrier Reef Aquarium.

Being a unique project type (Aquarium) includes: Being exposed to severe environmental elements; Townsville weather, proximity to water, environmental risks such as climate change, wild life protection and infrastructure shortcomings.