CONTRACTORS FACE AUDITS
Industrial strife steals show as Premier visits
CONTRACTORS at the embattled North Queensland Stadium are being audited to make sure they’re obeying the State Government’s procurement policy, as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk played down industrial relations concerns while touring the site yesterday.
The Department of Housing and Public Works confirmed its compliance unit was auditing contractors to ensure “contractual commitments” set out in the Best Practice Principles policy were met.
“The Queensland Government’s firm view is that workers in Townsville should receive the same pay and conditions as workers in southeast Queensland,” a spokeswoman said. “It would be inappropriate to prejudice a result of the audit with further comment at this time.”
Ms Palaszczuk dodged questions about the “Best Practice Principles” policy, which has caused grief for contractors on site and allegations of union interference slowing down construction progress.
The policy has also caused the project’s budget to blow out by $43.5 million in order to pay workers more.
But only companies who signed contracts for work at the stadium on or after May 17, 2018, are able to access the multimillion-dollar State Government extra wages cash bucket.
This means there are tradies on site who are working side-by-side and doing similar work but getting significantly less money.
“Every single dollar is worth it, every single dollar, world-class stadium, jobs for locals,” Ms Palaszczuk said. “I think people deserve to be paid fairly and they are. Look I’m not familiar of the intricate details of the contract, but people are getting paid … they are getting paid according to those agreements.”
Ms Palaszczuk also reiterated that construction was “on budget” and the stadium was on track to open in time for the 2020 NRL season opener.
The Premier, flanked by Mayor Jenny Hill, Herbert MP Phillip Thompson and Townsville MPS Aaron Harper and Scott Stewart, announced the stadium had reached a construction milestone.
One of the stadium’s 36 roof trusses, designed to be shaped like a pandanus plant, has been lifted into place.
The horseshoe-shaped roof will cover about 75 per cent of the stadium’s 25,000 seats.
It was also revealed that Townsville business Mendi Group had been contracted to install the pitch, with locally grown turf set to be used.
Mendi Group is also delivering earthworks and roadworks on site.
Director Jeff Doyle said the company had been able to employ 23 extra staff, including six apprentices and trainees, since winning contracts on the project.
“This ongoing work has provided great security of employment for our local workforce who are now upskilling in new areas, and we have also been able to engage our local supply chain by offering components of our work to other local subcontractors and suppliers,” he said.
Other major works being conducted on site include upper seating bowl platforms in the eastern stand, as well as services cabling, external facade work and glazing for windows and doors located in the eastern stand.
The Queensland Government’s firm view is that workers in Townsville should receive the same pay and conditions as workers in southeast Queensland
ANNASTACIA PALASZCZUK