COUNCIL TOOL SHARKS

DEPUTY MAYOR TARGETS COSTLY TRADIE CALL-OUTS

RATEPAYERS are being slugged nearly double to build simple infrastructure projects like roundabouts in the city’s booming north due to tradie travel costs.

As the Coast experiences a $6 billion development boom, much of it in the north, the costs of travel for council contractors is coming into play causing budget blow outs.

Residents living in the outer suburbs could be the losers with their area councillor facing major headaches on how to meet the costs of minor yet essential infrastructure.

Deputy Mayor Donna Gates flagged the cost issue at council’s planning committee meeting after noting a Jacobs Well roundabout project cost $20,000 more than a similar project in Pimpama six months earlier. A council officer explained the increase could be due to travel costs involved in getting to areas in the city.

“It was a $43,000 project and it’s the first time I have had cause to query what the dollars went on because it’s a very disappointing result,” Cr Gates said. “They recently did one at Pimpama which I was delighted with for almost half this price.”

A council officer told the meeting there was a simple explanation. “It’s the distance away from the core of the city, so that would add to the labour costs.”

Council sources explained the cost hike was a result of the city’s construction projects extending north away from council depots.

“If council are using contractors, you have to put contractors on a time that they leave the depot. There is a charge-out rate.”

The explanation for the costing had left Cr Gates astounded.

“That’s interesting to me because I have never been aware of us paying travel time or calculating travel time to get to one area of the city that’s part of our city as opposed to another,” she said. “I find that quite incredible that we would have greater costs associated with doing something in the north of the city as opposed to anywhere else in the city.”

But a Gold Coast City Council spokeswoman said travel costs was not new. “When budgeting for each project we ensure travel is taken into account.” The spokeswoman also said there was no difference in cost between the two projects.