By Raquel Mustillo
MOUNT Gambier City Council are unable to confirm when the Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre will be complete, with a senior executive telling elected members the multi-million dollar project will not be complete by Autumn 2022.
At this week’s council meeting, Councillor Christian Greco questioned staff in relation to the completion date and the cost of the Mount Gambier Sport and Recreation Hub citing concerns from ratepayers about the project.
Council’s general manager city infrastructure Barbara Cernovskis red-flagged a delay in construction fuelled by the Covid-19 pandemic, telling the chamber “we don’t actually know what the completion date is going to be”.
“The ballpark at the moment and the timelines that we’re working on is autumn 2022, but there will be a delay from autumn 2022,” he said.
“However, we can’t confirm what any amendment to that is going to be because there are a number of steps that we need to got through.
“I actually cannot give an update on what the opening date is going to be.”
Ms Cernovskis said staff were “very positive” that council’s largest ever infrastructure project would have “am early as we can opening, given the very difficult circumstances”.
When asked about the price of the project, Ms Cernovskis said the tender contract was $57.3m and said “the simple answer right now [to] if it is in budget, is yes”.
In a press release distributed earlier this week, council said head contractor Badge Constructions was currently installing the roof on the facility.
The release said around 80 people are working on site each day, with the total workforce expected to reach 120 in coming months.
“The blockwork for the courts, amenity facilities and aquatics area has commenced, ongoing internal electrical, mechanical and plumbing services works continues as does structural steel works in the court area and western storage area,” Ms Cernovskis said.
“1300 solar panels will also be installed in the coming weeks.
“It is challenging building in a COVID-19 environment, particularly due to periodic lockdowns hindering the procurement of goods and contractors from Victoria.
“Border restrictions have made it difficult to secure the required trades on site and it has been a challenge to find specialist trades to undertake some of the jobs required.”
Originally touted as a $39.1m project, the Mount Gambier Community and Recreation Hub – now known as the Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre – was announced by council in August 2020 as increasing to $57m.
Confidential documents obtained by The Border Watch showed a true project cost of $64m, with Mr Meddle ultimately conceding there are “two different costs” for the build, which was unable to be publicly released due to commercial sensitivities.
