BRIDGEWATER will again be without a caravan park for summer despite plans to open the facility next week.
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Loddon Shire approved a $1.8 million development of the flood-damaged site to be undertaken by Global Contracting.
The council said in November the park would re-open December 21, but council chief executive John McLinden said Monday it would not open for months.
He said Global Contracting had not been onsite “for some time”.
“We have a contract for Global Contracting to construct the caravan park, those works are not yet finished,” Mr McLinden said.
“We’ve served them a notice under the contract asking them to return to the site.
“They haven’t been there for about a week and a bit.
“Certainly last week there was no work at the site.
“This is now what I would call a major disruption.”
Bookings had been due to open Monday.
Mr McLinden said the council had paid the company $1.7 million for works that had been completed.
He said the council could use other contractors to finish the project in certain circumstances.
“There are administrative things around the contract,” Mr McLinden said.
“We’ll either be getting Global back on the site or taking possession of the site.
“We’d then negotiate with suppliers or subcontractors to complete the work.”
A Global Contracting employee said all staff were on leave and were due to return to work on Monday.
The business, which has offices in Seymour, Ballarat and Perth, has been involved in projects including the duplication of the Calder Highway, construction of Gibbons Bridge in Redesdale and work on the Pyrenees Highway in Chewton.
Businesses involved in the project and companies in Bridgewater declined to comment.
Mr McLinden said people had called to make site bookings.
“It’s highly unlikely we’ll be open at all this summer," he said.