Plans for a new inclusive play space at Tresillian Park are on hold.
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A point of order was raised by Cr Greg Armstrong against a recommendation put to council at its April meeting to cancel council's request for detailed design and construction tenders, and invite fresh tender applications.
Request for tenders for the detailed design and construction of the playground were called in May 2019.
In a report prepared for councillors at the April meeting, it said the two tender submissions council received were failed to be work shopped because of funding constraints and conflicting priorities.
The recommendation at the April meeting was put in place noting that a "significant amount of critical information provided within the submissions" is "no longer current and would require substantial revision".
However, Cr Armstrong said councillors had already resolved to remove its tendering obligations and had delegated authority to the general manager to negotiate a contract for delivery of the project. "I don't think this is the right thing," Cr Armstrong said.
Despite Director for Infrastructure John Osland's attempts to cover the point of order, Cr Armstrong said he wasn't satisfied.
"We did go to tender for a construction company. As I said in the report at that point it was over budget that we were told we had at the time. Staff cannot can just abandon a tender that we had gone to, council must make a decision and formally cancel a tender and decide what to do with that, hence my recommendation."
Cr Armstrong questioned why the play space isn't already completed.
"I'm just astounded that this thing can on on this long, and no one seems to know too much about it. The community has asked for it, the state government has been good enough to provide the funding for it, and I commend the state government for that. But Hilltops Council has fallen over its feet. This is an absolute joke. Why don't we have it now? Why are we going back out to tender? I'm just flabbergasted. I am absolutely flabbergasted."
Mayor Brian Ingram ruled on the point of order against the item being put to council. "This matter won't be put to this council to vote on tonight."
A fresh report will be prepared for councillors.
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