New review of RHH build

Focus on project risks and finances

A NEW review of the overdue Royal Hobart Hospital redevelopment will be done by the state’s public sector watchdog.

In the Tasmanian Audit Office’s (TAO) annual plan of work for the coming financial year and 2018-19, a new audit of the $689 million project is included as one of its projects scheduled to begin in the next two years.

Auditor-General Rod Whitehead said the coming audit would look at how the project had dealt with risk management, how finances fitted in with the original budget and how contracts were issued.

“It’s the largest project that the Government has undertaken in terms of redevelopment so we think it will be good to have another look at it,” Mr Whitehead said.

“Some of the things that we have been looking at is around some of the risk management. There have been reports of asbestos at the site in the press but also the construction management side of things.”

It will look at project management, financial management and contract management.

Three years ago the TAO examined the effectiveness of the governance, project management and the initial implementation of the project.

It found that, under the previous government, it was “weak and in a state of flux during crucial planning and design periods”.

Following a number of delays, the project has been pushed out to a likely completion date of 2019.

Labor leader Rebecca White welcomed the audit, saying the 2014 audit said the project still could have met its original 2016 completion date.

“Tasmanians have a right to know whether the project is on time and budget,” she said.

A State Government spokeswoman said audits of projects like the RHH redevelopment were normal.

Other new projects for the TAO include the effectiveness of ICT governance, the preconstruction activities of UTAS in its significant projects and public school infrastructure.

The Royal Hobart Hospital