The Star: July 09, 2020

Thursday July 9 2020 The Star
• By Louis Day
DISRUPTION from the
Covid-19 pandemic is resulting
in contractors applying
for millions of dollars in
compensation from the city
council.
About $6 million has already
been applied for by contractors
to account for the disruption
from alert level 4 restrictions.
The city council has paid out
$477,361 in claims so far. A city
council spokesman said it was
looking at ways to manage these
claims so they have no impact
on rates.
Depending on the agreements
made, contractors can claim
money from the party they have
been hired by in compensation
for time extension on a project.
City councillor
Phil Mauger
and owner
of Maugers
Contracting Ltd
thought it was
a “low blow”
for contractors
to be making
claims from the city council
under the circumstances of the
pandemic.
“I had the opportunity to put
some [claims] in and I said:
‘Nah,’ because I did not think it
was cricket,” he said.
“Say the council said you
can’t work on a project for two
months and there was no Covid,
fair enough, because the
council is causing you to
lose money. But in this
situation, you can’t go
anywhere else because the
whole country was locked
down.”
Isaac Construction is one
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Millions sought for delay
Phil Mauger
of the companies to have
made a claim, applying for
about $2 million in relation
to disruption to roading
and major projects.
Said Isaac Construction chief
executive Jeremy Dixon: “There
is a clause in it [contract] that allows
us to claim for some of the
cost we have incurred as a result
of Covid-19.”
Deputy Mayor and
chairman of the council’s
finance and performance
committee
Andrew Turner hoped
the payment of any
claims would not lead
to a rates increase.
“I am confident the
council will deal with
anything that needs to
be dealt with in a sensible,
efficient and professional
manner,” he said.
These claims only add to
the financial pressures the city
Jeremy
Dixon
REPAYMENT:
Isaac
Construction
has made a
claim of about
$2 million
to the city
council for
compensation
from the
disruption of
the Covid-19
pandemic
to roading
and major
projects it was
contracted.
council is already facing after
suffering a $99 million revenue
shortfall as a result of the pandemic.
It is currently processing submissions
to its draft Annual Plan
which proposes an average rates
increase of 3.5 per cent after
trimming back on its budget for
the next 12 months.
Leaving the lost income and
additional costs arising from the
pandemic unaddressed would
have driven a rates increase of
more than 21 per cent for the
current financial year.
The city council will finalise its
Annual Plan by the end of this
month.
NEWS 5
Town hall to
open for daily
access soon
THE TOWN hall will open its
doors for daily public access next
month.
The hall, which suffered significant
damage from the February
22, 2011, earthquakes, reopened
for events in February last year
after a $167 million restoration.
Yesterday, Vbase, the company
managing the hall, announced it
would now be open for daily public
access from August 4 onwards.
Said chief executive Caroline
Harvie-Teare: “Our community
has so many special memories
over almost 50 years at the town
hall and there is great pride in the
venue. Opening the doors for daily
access is both an opportunity
for the community to reconnect
with its venue but also for visitors
to Christchurch to experience one
of our most iconic assets.”
A ‘Friends of Christchurch
Town Hall’ volunteer programme
is being established to welcome
and provide information to visitors
to the venue. Applications for
the programme are now open.
While the $167 million
restoration of the hall brought
it to 100 per cent of the New
Building Standard, an Audit New
Zealand report found the project
was “beset with some significant
issues” after it was originally
budgeted to cost $127 million.
Mobility Madness!
Scooter Sale
40%
Off!
EziShopper 214
Luxury Seat
Full Suspension
LED Lights
Speed 14 kph
Distance 40km
Full Warranty
$6,490 Retail
$3,895 Special
Full diagnostic hearing
assessment.
FREE
full diagnostic hearing assessment
for AA Members, valued at $120
Free!
3 Day Home Trial
Showroom - We 18 Come Main North To you Road. Papanui.
Canterbury We /South Come To Canterbury You wide
Canterbury / South Canterbury wide
Call 0800 1155 76
Call 0800 1155 76
If you’re an AA Member aged 15 years or older and have had hearing
loss detected in your free screening appointment, you’re entitled to
one full diagnostic hearing assessment each year. Simply show your
AA Membership card at your appointment.
New Zealand’s Audiology Experts since 1960
CALL NOW 0800 800 025
dilworth.co.nz/aamembers