DEAR News Of The Area,

I FIND the relatively tame reaction of Council, to what can only be described as a poorly managed project known as the Airport Enterprise Park, to be incredible.

Given that the concept for this project began well over 30 years ago, albeit not in its current form, there is absolutely no excuse for what has obviously been an incredibly inept design in respect of lack of site investigation (a large part of this area was and is tea tree swamp) and even a simple design estimation of required fill and drainage.

Council back in the 70’s built the Cook Drive Industrial area in worse ground conditions and on budget – I should know, I designed and supervised it.

To have a situation where the original estimate for earthworks at $1.5 million becomes $9 million is scandalous – at the very least the project team should have been severely reprimanded, and whoever was responsible for the design should be removed from any further project, or, if a consultant, never employed again.

The pathetic reasons for the blowout are laughable, and certainly not in any way an engineering analysis of the mess.

Purely as a matter of interest, with a proper design and normal site investigations etc, a project of this nature is normally estimated at expected actual cost plus 10% for contingencies.

No project, however well managed, does not come across unexpected problems.

However in this case, the usual procedures were not followed.

The “cost blowout” should, being extremely generous, have been no more than $700,000 to $1 million.

In a closing comment, if this is how Council handles a relatively straightforward road and earthworks project, we are in immense trouble with something as abstract as the ‘whatever its being called this week’ project.

Regards,
Peter KITCHING,
Coffs Harbour.