Locals call for clarity on jobs

THE Minister overseeing the $176 million Cairns Convention Centre expansion has recommitted to securing Cairns tradies work after being lashed for backing away from local work guarantees.

In January, Minister for Housing and Public Works Mick de Brenni made assurances local contractors tendering for lucrative convention centre jobs would be given a fair go if they proved capable of doing the work.

However, Mr de Brenni came under fire last month for a reversal of an iron-clad commitment to get Cairns contractors a start on the project.

Numerous local contractors contacted by the Cairns Post had received rejection emails from managing contractor Lendlease which fed speculation Brisbane-based firms had been awarded work packages.

Mr de Brenni said the government had recommitted to a local quota this week after stating last month Lendlease would “follow our Buy Queens

This ad was supported by: land approach and maximise local quality … no matter where a winning contractor is based in Queensland”.

“The managing contractor, Lendlease Construction, is under a contractual obligation to deliver on our commitment to a workforce of at least 85 per cent tradies from Cairns and I don’t otherwise intervene in the procurement,” he said.

“The definition of ‘local’ for all of the Palaszczuk Government’s major projects has always been where the workers call their home town – in this case, Cairns.”

Director of a Cairns-based electrical company, who asked not to be named, had been knocked back by Lendlease on the supply of an electrical fitout.

“And I have heard this week that other locals are missing out. We are hearing through Wholesale World they have been talking to companies in Brisbane,” he said.

The electrical worker said while rival Brisbane firm Stowe Australia had yet to be announced as the winner of the contract, he hoped a Lendlease recommendation would be reversed by the State Government.

“Or (the Department of Public Works) may fall to public pressure and ask why are these all going down south,” he said.

Cairns MP Michael Healy, acting on concern from tradies, asked Mr de Brenni to explain through a teleconference the current situation.

“It’s a positive outcome and as far as I am aware, we are still online for 80-85 per cent of workers on that site to be locals,” he said.

However, Mr Healy was not clear if local contractors could be reconsidered after being knocked back by Lendlease if the recommended firm didn’t meet the local worker quota.

“If (Lendlease) have said ‘sorry’ to the local bloke and they have gone outside (the Cairns area) and he does not fulfil the criteria, I would assume they would (reconsider a local firm) but I couldn’t confirm that,” he said.

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