Page 163 - Week 01 - Thursday, 9 April 1992
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MS FOLLETT: I think I am right, but that is just an opinion. Madam Speaker, I would have to get advice on just what kind of packages are offered to senior officers in the ACT Government Service. I will certainly undertake to do that, as I will undertake to have a look at the question of public transport, where senior officers may be using public transport, in terms of the incentive that they get to use a private car. I think that is what Mr Moore is getting at. I will undertake to examine that proposal, Madam Speaker, and perhaps come back to Mr Moore on both of those matters.
Limestone Avenue Reconstruction
MR WESTENDE: My question without notice is directed to the Minister for Urban Services. When will the upgrading of Limestone Avenue be completed? Is the Minister satisfied with the performance of the current contractors on the project? Is it normal for a relatively small project of this nature to take some two years to complete? Is the contract subject to penalty provisions for late completion and, if so, what is the penalty and when will it take effect?
MR CONNOLLY: Madam Speaker, I am very heartened by the enthusiasm of the new Liberal members to bring to light the failures of the Alliance Government. I think that is a good sign for public administration in this Territory.
The Limestone Avenue reconstruction does seem to be ranking with the construction of the Pyramids in terms of time taken. What happened was that the principal contractors, Shelleys, went through the hoop, to use a colloquial phrase; they went bust at the worst possible time in that construction program, and that was under the Alliance Government.
The Labor Party has taken a number of steps to prevent that sort of thing from happening again, principally by putting in what we said at the time should happen and which that Government seemed to think was all too difficult - that is, processes of random auditing of subbies to ensure that they are paying their workers and that they are paying their suppliers. That is working rather well. We are also becoming a party with the Commonwealth Government to the construction industry reform strategy which will have prequalification of major public works tenderers. So, the folly of the Alliance in that Shelley contract should not recur. That is the principal reason for delay.
We are getting to the near final stages of the contract. Unfortunately, there is considerable disruption to persons travelling towards where the ABC is, towards that intersection near the Ainslie Fire Station. We did have an option of allowing that to continue to be open to commuters; but it would have meant stop-go signs, it would have meant one lane, and it would have meant travellers being very close to the actual construction site and delay of the completion. I took the decision that it was better to have the detours to allow work to continue fairly swiftly. It is due for completion within some months.
In relation to the contract rise and fall clauses and the extent to which there is any overspending, I do not have that level of detail with me. I will provide it to Mr Westende. Of course, as a major public works project, it is subject to Assembly scrutiny through the Public Accounts Committee or through the Estimates Committee; but I will provide Mr Westende with the detail that he sought.
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