Council Concedes Hub Cost Variance
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FRIDAY, 23 OCTOBER, 2020 WEATHER PAGE 22 TV GUIDE PAGES 27-28, 45-46 PUZZLES PAGE 26 CLASSIFIEDS PAGES 54-56 borderwatch.com.au | $3.00 Council concedes hub cost variance Boulevard of MOUNT Gambier City Council has con- ceded there are “two different costs” for the Community and Recreation Hub, festive cheer but the true $64m project cost was un- able to be publicly released due to “com- THE SPIRIT of Christmas will remain in the mercial sensitivities”. Limestone Coast this year with the Mount Gambier Christmas Parade adapting a new Confidential documents viewed by format due to COVID-19 requirements. The Border Watch have revealed the The revised event, titled NF McDonnell true project cost of the project to be and Sons Santa’s Boulevard, will take form $64m, with a number of fees – including of a static display at Blue Lake Sports Park a $4.2m construction phase contingen- on November 21 and 22. cy – omitted from council’s publicly re- The 61st anniversary parade will in- leased $57.3m contract build cost figure. volve a sea of light arrangements and sea- At this week’s council meeting, the sonal decorations including 15 floats such first quarter budget review included a as crowd favourites Bill the Steam Shovel, $39m forecast capital expenditure, con- Teddy’s Bears Picnic and Father Christmas. sistent with the documents showing the $64m project cost. STORY PAGE 2 STORY PAGE 2 Deputy stood down ONE of Grant District Council’s highest- stonhaugh was stood down from her position refused to comment, but sources say the dep- deferred answering a question on the where- ranked staff members has been suspended last week after claims of misconduct were uty chief executive “being at odds” with both abouts of Ms Fetherstonhaugh, whose desk following misconduct complaints lodged by lobbed against her by Darryl Whicker and complainants is among the “number of allega- name plate had been turned face down. the council’s chief executive officer and mayor. mayor Richard Sage. tions” of misconduct. 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Offer valid whilst stocks last and excludes govt, fleet and rental buyers. Hyundai reserves the right to change, supersede or extend these offers at its discretion. Metallic and Mica paint are optional extras and are an additional cost. See your participating Hyundai dealer for details. HMCA19534/STRIP/DLR 2 NEWS Friday, 23 October, 2020 BORDERWATCH.COM.AU Boulevard of festive cheer EPA MOLLY TAYLOR Ms Richardson said Limestone Coast kindergarten had been associated with education sites had been invited to par- the parade for decades and it was always [email protected] acts on ticipate in the parade and an alternative highly regarded by families and children. A REVAMPED NF McDonnell and Sons arrangement had been organised. “We are really glad the council has Mount Gambier Christmas Parade plans Almost 20 education sites will be deco- thought of a way to celebrate Christmas in to transform Blue Lake Sports Park into rating individual Christmas trees, donated a safe way,” Ms Scott said. Santa’s Boulevard. courtesy of OneFortyOne, which will be “We have always loved participating lagoon Due to COVID-19 requirements, Mount centred on the boulevard’s median strip. in the parade. It is always super exciting Gambier City Council made the decision “The Christmas parade would not be to get dressed up and on the truck. We are to alter the traditional day event and in- what it is without our schools, so we ap- looking forward to again being involved stead form a static night-based drive- proached sites to see whether they were even if this year is not going to be the leak through display of Christmas floats and still interested in participating and being same.” festive lighting arrangements. part of the parade,” Ms Richardson said. Ms Scott said it would be all hands on Council community events team lead- “Even though the schools will not be deck in the coming weeks to start prepar- BEACH Energy have until mid- er Denise Richardson said there was still involved with the floats this year they are ing decorations and ideas for the kinder- November to repair a stormwater lagoon a need to celebrate and publicly mark the helping us celebrate.” garten’s tree. leak at the Katnook Gas Processing occasion. In doing research for the event’s 60th “Children will be helping to tell the sto- Facility after the company was issued Ms Richardson said although it would anniversary last year, Ms Richardson said ry of the First Christmas. We are thinking a directive by the state’s independent be different, she hoped people would still the student tree decorating idea was first of using lots of glitter and creating some protection regulator. keep their Christmas spirits high and en- introduced during the parade’s earlier decorations to get the children involved,” years. The Environmental Protection Au- joy their time. Ms Scott said. “When going through the archives, I thority (EPA) has issued Beach Energy “There will be lights everywhere … NF McDonnell and Sons’ Timber Toy an environmental protection order, found schools used to come together and Town float and Rotary Club of Mount Christmas music will be playing through which also includes six months of en- the whole boulevard to provide the Christ- decorate various Christmas trees in the Gambier West’s Father Christmas Float hanced groundwater monitoring. mas feel,” she said. City Hall,” Ms Richardson said. have both been revamped and a new float, “We have tried to incorporate as much “When I read about that, I thought it which is yet to be publicly revealed, is also Environmental Protection Author- as we can, to still make it somewhat of a was actually one way we could re-involve undergoing rapid formation. ity director of science and informa- parade. the schools safely. The revised event will be free entry and tion Keith Baldry said it was not known “I think it will be a bit of a different “It is an uptake in school involvement held from 7pm to 10pm on November 21 whether groundwater on the site has atmosphere and it is a bit unique using as well and it could be an added bonus to and 22 with 15 floats on display including been affected, but the organisation was lighting more so during than in the day look at next year.” crowd favourites Bill the Steam Shovel, taking a cautious approach. St Martins Kindergarten is one educa- when we generally use colour.” Teddy’s Bears Picnic and Father Christ- He said the EPA issued the order to tion facility which will be involved in the mas. The floats plan to be lined up on the provide greater regulatory control over event this year through the decoration of Entry to the event will be via vehicle eastern side of the park’s main access Beach Energy’s remedial actions and road, with the public invited to drive on its own Christmas tree. from Dohle Road with exit at Jubilee High- the western side to view the display. Site teacher Rebekah Scott said the way East. there was no evidence pollitants have left the Katnook site as a result of the po- tential leak. “The levels of pollutants are low, and there is no public health risk,” Mr Baldry said. Mr Baldrey said integrity of lagoons was a component of Beach Energy’s li- cence and it was important the region’s groundwater was protected. He said the company had taken positive action to repair the potential leak and was undertaking enhanced monitoring to check for any impacts to groundwater. Beach Energy was contacted for comment. The Katnook Gas Plant was initially constructed by Origin Energy Resources Limited and commenced production in 1991. Production at the gas plant stopped in 2011, but was refurbished and recom- missioned in early 2020 to supply gas to industry. CHRISTMAS PREPARATION: St Martins Kindergarten’s Olivia, Jaxon and Hudson prepare paper chains for the site’s Christmas tree in this year’s NF McDonnell and Sons Santa’s Boulevard display. Picture: MOLLY TAYLOR Hub dual cost conceded RAQUEL MUSTILLO and potentially $39,125,750.75 against the Outgoing chief executive officer Andrew the public. project cost, noting that the contingency may Meddle said there was no figure allocated to [email protected] According to a partially released confi- not all be used.” contingency as it was not a guaranteed spend dential council meeting agenda, Councillor MOUNT Gambier City Council has conceded In addition to the 7.5pc earmarked for con- and did not form part of the contract sum. Kate Amoroso sought to release the current there are “two different costs” for the Commu- tingency, $2.6m for consultants and design “Contingency is a provision for a possible detailed design, specifications and estimated nity and Recreation Hub, but the true $64m fees and $833,000 for other charges including circumstance which cannot be predicted with cost of the hub to the public in December project cost was unable to be publicly released power connection and a $40,000 opening event certainty,” Mr Meddle said.