REDEVELOPMENT costs of Flinders Civic Hall have blown out by nearly $400,000. Work to upgrade the “no longer fit for purpose” hall in Cook Street was completed in March.
Construction started in March 2022 and the first cost blowout ($222,166) was paid in March 2023, followed by a second extra payment of $74,834 in January this year. The latest payment of $97,347 needed the approval of Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors as it lifted the total over expenditure to more than $300,000.
The first two payments were approved by the shire CEO John Baker; councillors approved the third on Monday 15 July. The original contract amount of $5,155,297 (excluding GST) eventually increased to $5,513,795 (excluding GST), a 6.95 per cent increase.
The building was originally set to be completed in April 2023 but faced “significant delays primarily caused by building permit requirements, authority works, multiple and ongoing redesigns to achieve buildable solutions following the liquidation of the principal consultant architect, continuing cost escalation, and shortage of materials and resources”, according to Mariah Rafol, project manager – project delivery acting director – infrastructure.
In a report to council’s 15 July public meeting, Rafol said that as the project was nearing completion the building surveyor had found works that needed rectifying.“Once identified, it was determined through numerous onsite meetings that there was no possibility of obtaining a [certificate of occupancy] until these items were addressed,” Rafol said.
“An alternative option was further identified which included changing the overall use of the external areas. However, this was deemed unacceptable and would not meet community expectations or provide a fit for purpose facility.”
Money for the hall works came from the shire ($990,000), Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions – Growing Suburbs Fund ($2.25 million), Department of Families, Fairness and Housing – Changing Places Fund ($110,000), Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts – Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program ($3.22 million).
The hall – built with “sustainable materials” including low-energy bricks and low-carbon concrete – now has a new multi-purpose room for such things as meetings, craft lessons and community education classes; a dual access (internal/external) changing rooms; rooftop solar panels; efficient lighting, heating, cooling and hot water; stormwater treatment and rainwater “harvesting”.
First published in the Mornington News – 23 July, 2024
