Locals miss stadium jobs
TOWNSVILLE contractors are missing out on work on the new stadium despite the State Government promising 80 per cent of work would go to locals.
In May, the percentage of work going to local contractors slipped to 71 per cent with the figures subsequently wiped from the State Government website.
Opposition Deputy Leader Tim Mander said the State Government needed to “come clean” on their failed promise to the people of Townsville.
LOCAL contractors are losing out on work at the North Queensland Stadium as the State Government fails to meet its own targets on the embattled project.
It comes as questions surface about the Government’s transparency surrounding the project.
Local subcontractors and suppliers were promised at least 80 per cent of the value of the $293.5 million project would be spent on them.
However, Government figures revealed the dollar value on contracts awarded to local industry had slipped to 71 per cent in May, despite the much vaunted Buy Queensland policy commitment.
This figure was subsequently removed from the Department of Housing and Public Works website at the end of July, leaving only the total value of packages awarded.
Opposition Deputy Leader Tim Mander said the State Government needed to “come clean” on their failed promise to the people of Townsville.
“Labor’s promise to support local Townsville jobs as part of this project is in tatters,” he said. “(Public Works Minister) Mick de Brenni knew he was failing on this commitment and now he’s trying to cover it up. Labor’s not working to create jobs and provide job security for Townsville.”
A full list of companies contracted to work on the stadium project was also removed from the departmental website at the end of July but was reinstated yesterday after inquiries by the Townsville Bulletin.
Master Builders Queensland regional manager Melissa Coulter said the transparency surrounding the project needed to be questioned.
“I know for a fact that managing contractor Watpac provides a monthly report to the State Government,” she said.
“It is the State Government’s responsibility to maintain those reports online and make sure they are transparent and for everyone to see, as that has always been a condition of this project.”
A Department of Housing and Public Works official did not clarify why the value of packages awarded to local industry statistic had been taken off the website.
“The final figure will only be known at project completion and it will continue to vary up until then,” he said.
“The change in the value reflects the more straightforward trade work being undertaken during the earlier project phases by local subcontractors, compared to highly complex and largescale manufacturing and installation work now taking place, which requires specialist subcontractors from outside the region.”