A COUNCIL director has been stood down after the discovery late last week that the proposed Oallen Ford Bridge was going to be built in the wrong location.
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General manager Warwick Bennett has confirmed the “basic errors” could cost ratepayers up to another $500,000 after he was forced to suspend work on the $2.6 million project.
On Monday he ended Goulburn Mulwaree’s engineering services director Terry Cooper’s tenure with Council.
When the Post asked why, Mr Bennett said: “He is no longer involved in the project. I have no further comment to make. It is a staffing matter.”
Mr Bennett revealed he first learnt of the bridge oversight on Friday afternoon when reviewing the project. Construction was due to start on Wednesday.
He discovered that the proposed two-lane concrete structure over the Shoalhaven River was not on the road reserve but on land subject to an Aboriginal land claim.
Negotiations with Aboriginal Lands Councils and other stakeholders also had not been completed, he said.
“My review of the project has revealed that the land on which we were planning this new bridge and access way was not on Council’s road reserve, and for making these basic errors I apologise to the Council and the community,” Mr Bennett said.
He said Council would consult with the affected groups, including the Pejar and Ulladulla Local Aboriginal Lands Council as well as the NSW Aboriginal Lands Council.
“Upon review of the project, I have discovered that we have not done our investigations properly and I apologise to the affected community,” Mr Bennett said.
Mr Bennett said a briefing was held with all councillors at 5pm on Tuesday to discuss the full ramifications of the discovery.
“Councillors were fully informed during the workshop,” he said.
“The two options that we need to investigate will include keeping it all within the existing Road Reserve boundary, or the other option would be that we remain on the proposed alignment and we negotiate with all Land Councils and other key stakeholders.”
“Construction on the bridge was due to commence this week. I have put a delay on that process and I will keep the community informed as to when this project is likely to commence but it is unlikely it will commence this calendar year.”
Councillors in May voted to replace the existing at-grade structure with a new two-lane concrete bridge which the State Government had allocated $2.2 million towards.
They selected Newcastlebased company, Civilbuild Pty Ltd, to complete the project. The new bridge was going to be built 2.05 metres higher than the existing timber structure and span the entire causeway.
Councillors also allocated $400,000 from Goulburn Mulwaree’s bridge replacement reserve to cover the shortfall, project management and contingencies. Another $300,000 was set aside for contingencies.
Council now will be forced to draw upon all of that – and probably more.
Mr Bennett said the State would not cover the costs associated with revised plans and construction delays.
“It is council that we will wear the financial implications of this and that could be anywhere between $300,000 and $500,000 on initial estimates.
“I am very embarrassed and apologetic over this. It should not have happened.”
He expected work would not commence now until next year.
“It would have been much worse to have made this discovery when half the bridge was built across the river, but unfortunately this discovery will now delay the project. The bottom line is that we should have found this out three years ago in the early stages of the planning,” he said.
Mr Bennett said he would “personally see the project through to its completion”.
The matter has forced him to accelerate his senior council staff restructure program.
“I will be putting a report together to next (Tuesday’s) council meeting to bring the four director positions forward,” he said.
When asked if ratepayers should have any doubts about other Council capital work programs, Mr Bennett replied:
“We are reviewing other projects we’re doing and I have confidence the council will deliver on those.”
“The review though is also about ensuring future capital works planning is more robust and credible than what we’ve seen on this project (the bridge).”