Wildlife aviary needs better poles

Redesign expected to delay completion

More, stronger poles will be needed to hold up a redesigned netting roof above an aviary at Central Energy Trust Wildbase Recovery.

The structure is having to be redesigned as the $5.8 million project at Palmerston North’s Victoria Esplanade eats through contingency funding, and it could delay completion.

City councillor Bruno Petrenas angered other councillors by comparing alleged shortcomings in the the design and consenting process to failures leading to the collapse of Christchurch’s CTV building in the Canterbury earthquake.

Finance and performance committee chairwoman Susan Baty told him to withdraw the comment.

‘‘It’s very remiss of a councillor to mention this building in the same tone as the CTV building. It makes me very angry.’’

Customer services general manager Peter Eathorne said amending consents for buildings was common, and it was not surprising that it was necessary as part of such a complex project.

The original building consent for the aviary was nearly four years old and since then a decision had been made to change the type of mesh being used for the roof, and it would need stronger supports than the original product.

The building consent would need to be updated.

Senior property and parks planner Aaron Phillips said the early stages of the Wildbase Recovery project had been bogged down by soft, wet ground conditions in winter and spring.

The facility includes an education centre and rehabilitation aviaries where the public will be able to view wildlife recovering after treatment at Wildbase Hospital before they are returned to the wild.

Phillips said the changes needed to the pole supports were being assessed by the design team, the main contractor and mesh supply subcontractor.

‘‘That assessment will address areas of responsibility and cost implications.’’

He hoped they would be able to work out a solution that would be ‘‘cost neutral’’.

But the redesign was expected to delay completion of the aviaries from April until early June.

After a period of quarantine needed between completion and having the facility ready for the first patients, the public opening was likely to be put off until August.

Phillips said while suppliers and businesses continued to provide good deals to reduce building costs, there was only $11,000 of a $330,000 contingency fund left, and there was a risk that the project could run over budget.

‘‘Things are very tight,’’ he said.