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RELATED: Theatre pay row
SUBCONTRACTORS on the Ulumbarra Theatre project have threatened to decommission the building, which has been operating since May.
Local tradespeople who worked on the theatre are collectively owed at least $3.6 million for works completed and unpaid variations by the build’s lead contractor, Contract Control Services. At a meeting attended by 13 affected businesses yesterday, subcontractors outlined their plan to force the theatre to close if they weren’t paid the money owed.
“There’s a distinct possibility the contractors will work together to decommission the place and render it inoperable because it’s not safe,” one subcontractor said.
“That’s part of our collective plan. We don’t believe it should be operational for health and safety reasons and for the fact that we’ve delivered the job and haven’t been paid.”
Subcontractors said compliance certification had not been fulfilled on several aspects of the job, making it unsafe for use. This was a claim disputed by City of Greater Bendigo Council City Futures director Stan Liacos. Mr Liacos said the building was fully compliant.
Contract Control Services project manager Simon Ireland issued the following statement to the Bendigo Advertiser.
“The dispute with subcontractor payments is a matter of unassessed, unapproved variations to the works that currently reside with the Department of Education and their consultants.”
Mr Ireland would not comment on when subcontractors would receive the money owed to them or whether the building was compliant.
Department of Education spokesman Simon Craig said the department, which is financially responsible for the $26 million project, was “disappointed with the continuing contractual issues between the main contractor and subcontractors”. The department fast-tracked a payment to Contract Control Services for variations in early June, which the builder agreed to pass on to subcontractors within seven days.
Subcontractors say Contract Control has failed to fulfil this obligation.