By ERWIN CHLANDA
Builders in Alice Springs are incensed about the NT Government letting a tender worth $30m for work on the hospital to a company that has apparently no presence in the town.
It is the same company that built the emergency department (pictured) three years ago.
According to several sources there are significant defects in that work which are still in the process of being rectified.
The builders, speaking on the condition of not being named, are saying there are local firms well qualified and able to do the work.
The tender, T15-1065, was awarded to Lahey Constructions based in Sydney.
Infrastructure Minister Peter Chandler was not available for comment.
The company has an office in Darwin, according its website, but no information was available about the current extent of the company’s presence in the in the NT.
Its media section told us to us to speak with the operations manager but we were later informed that he will not be available “until next week”.
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
The freedom of the press still furnishes that check upon government which no constitution has ever been able to provide – Chicago Tribune.
Every time an interstate construction company has done major work to our hospital it has been a stuff up that has had to be fixed by the locals.
Surely its time to let the locals have a go at stuffing it up first and then another local can fix it! (ha ha)
This is absurd. This is the largest contract awarded in eight years and it’s going to a company that three yrs ago stuffed up the hospital contract, took all the profits out of town and did not leave anything in town but a huge defects list.
This company still doesn’t even have a post office box in town let alone a staffed office.
The worst part of this is the contract is over three years minimum and the positive support of local companies inject in this town would have increased if awarded to the true local.
I wonder how many people actually realize that one of our bigger builders has spent $10m this year alone locally on developments, let alone the other local company that is outlaying about $20m for the court house which is commencing.
We have to remember these contracts are issued by departments that don’t consult local content, that have dealt with the mess left behind last time and will have to deal with it next time.
I still can’t understand how these companies fulfill local content by phone calls when local companies fill it on experience and location expertise.
The only way we are going to stop this going through is everyone getting off the fence and have a say through any format they can.
People, this effects everyone of us down the line in some way or form, so let’s for once have a say.
The company spend 20 million for the new law court is doing it for his personal profit. The question I ask if crime is dropping, do we need this building which is going to cost millions to maintain?
Haha. I believe the works are contracted out to the local contractors overseen by The Big Company. So the defects are a result of local subcontractors and The Big Company has the resource and backing to rectify such defects.