Metro Sports on cusp of deal
Authorities have chosen a preferred contractor for Christchurch’s long-delayed metro sports facility, with hopes the contract negotiations will be wrapped up by the end of next month.
Industry sources believe the preferred main works contractor for the $300 million project is Australian company CPB Contractors, which is also building the Convention Centre and Christchurch Hospital acute services building.
The anchor project was originally due to open at the start of 2016, but has faced repeated delays. A previous contract with Leighs Cockram Joint Venture ended over the allocation of risk and a $75m budget blowout in November 2017. The Government then reviewed the plans, resulting in a trimmed-back version of the facility.
Councillor Jamie Gough posted publicly on Facebook slating the reported decision, saying O¯ ta¯ karo had ‘‘shafted locals by dumping a highly competitive local bid for the construction of the metro sports facility in favour of CPB’’. ‘‘If this is true it is a disgusting move that will take millions of dollars and sustainable long term employment prospects from Christchurch and the region.’’
The build is being managed by Crown rebuild company O¯ ta¯ karo, which is not commenting on who the preferred contractor is but is standing by their tender process.
Christchurch City Council, as a funding partner in the project and the future owner of the facility, also has representatives on the tender evaluation panel.
The other bidder for the contract was a group of local construction companies including Southbase Construction, which was founded in 2013 by Phillip Carter and Ben Gough, a relative of Jamie Gough.
Speaking to Stuff, Jamie Gough said people needed to know the opportunity cost.
‘‘The long term cost is, in tangible terms, is millions of dollars to the local workforce, it’s a substantial amount of long-term employment prospects that have now all but evaporated as a result of it.
‘‘But at more of an intangible level, it’s a kick in the guts to hard-working Christchurch citizens that want to be a part of their rebuild and have a future here.’’
He said he did not know how
the bids were evaluated, but thought there should be some weighting given to whether a bid was local. There should also be some consideration to CPB’s track record, Gough said.
CPB is building the longoverdue acute services building, which was originally due to be finished last July and is $40m over its original $445m budget.
They had to rip out nonapproved pipes and fittings in the building which breached building consent conditions and raised warranty issues.
Southbase chief executive Quin Henderson said rebuild work was slowing down in the city and contracts like this were important to local companies so they could pay their staff.
He said there could be plenty of legitimate reasons why Southbase did not get the contract, such as their programme might be longer or cost might be higher.
But he was concerned about the long-term impact awarding the contract to an overseas company would have on the industry as millions of dollars would be heading offshore.
Henderson said about 30 local apprentices would have been taken on to do the job had they been awarded the contract.
Henderson questioned what the ongoing affects would be; ‘‘You build a building, you don’t just walk away.
‘‘So in two years’ time when that’s it, they leave, are they going to be around to maintain it?’’
An O¯ ta¯ karo spokesman said the tender process ‘‘has been overseen by Audit New Zealand to ensure it is thorough, transparent and meets all the relevant processes and regulations’’.