As Launceston’s Council showers Gorge works with cash, well might ratepayers ask if it is it value for money! If not, why not?
Yet another $375K in emergency works at Cataract Gorge have been approved but by the time it’s spent it will be $500K no doubt given Town Hall’s past fiscal performance indicators.
Just how long have Town Hall’s managerial functionaries been sitting on their hands, not looking, and wishing the hard work away? It’s endemic Town Hall behaviour it seems.
Also, sit on your hands for long enough and someone will spot an opportunity to tap into a ‘nice little earner” or the problem will dissolve. Either way, it’ll make you look good when you’ve actually missed a real opportunity.
If this is an emergency. what was it weeks ago? A lucrative fiscal opportunity in waiting perhaps?
The iconic Gorge Walkway has been closed for weeks due to all this. Yes, it is time-sensitive enough to warrant emergency procedures, but when will it be open again?
This is being asked as in the tourism High Season with dollars flying out the window and down the drain.
Councillor Joe Pentridge’s objection here is misrepresented as he is clearly looking for ratepayers to get value for their dollars.
When he talks about his’ little bit here and there’ that need to be done, he is right on the money. Councillor Pentridge’s asking for emergency works presenting value for money and it should have been managements advice to our Councillor, but no.
Deputy mayor and professional bean counter Cr. Hugh McKenzie is late to the party. Why wasn’t he looking to get the infrastructure officers doing their due diligence, yonks ago, given that he now says, “this is our greatest asset,"
Moreover, as the people’s bean counter on the job he must have known, or should have known, that there was unspent cash in the budget due mainly Council’s non-delivery (non-performance?) elsewhere.
The reality of it is, these are skilled operators; it can be understood from the officers' report to Councillors, but did they do what they did anywhere near early enough?
It is what it is and Councillor Pentridge come up looking like the ratepayer hero.
IN THE EXAMINER:
Another $375,000 in emergency work at Cataract Gorge - this time to fix a retaining wall that supports Cataract Walk - has been approved by councillors.
Two sections of the wall were considered at high risk of collapsing, to the point where City of Launceston council officers sidestepped the usual tendering processes.
Instead of seeking proposals from multiple contractors, infrastructure officers asked a single company, Invision Developments - something permitted by the Local Government Act in an emergency.
Council officers said as the walkway was already closed due to work at the top of the gorge, the project was time-sensitive enough to warrant emergency procedures.
This required an absolute majority of councillors to support the recommendation, and 11 councillors endorsed the proposal at the November 30 meeting.
Only councillor Joe Pentridge objected to the spend.
He said the council should give the gorge a "big once-over" which would ensure value for money, rather than doing several piecemeal projects.
"I seem to have a recollection that there needs to be quite a bit of work done on the walkway," Cr Pentridge said.
"Yes, what a great time to do it while it's closed. But all we're hearing is, every few weeks 'a little bit here needs to be done, a little bit there needs to be done'.
"Why not grab this opportunity and give it a big once-over so it does become the asset that it should be for Launceston."
Council officers said in a report they were confident in the proposal given by the contractors, as they could compare it to other recent projects.
"Given the nature of the works, the availability of suitably qualified tradespeople is limited," they said.
"The council's officers are confident the tender received presents value given the complexity of work, the site constraints and the rates received.
"Further confidence can be derived from rates received for other similar projects at South Esk Road and Ockerby Gardens."
Deputy mayor Hugh McKenzie said the infrastructure officers had done their due diligence, and the council just needed to "get it done".
"This is our greatest asset," Cr McKenzie said.
"The reality of it is these are skilled operators, I understand from the officers' report to us in doing what they did. As a consequence of that they've done a value for money assessment.
"We just need to get it done."
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