School building projects?

[Dave1]

I just don't get it.

Private builder gets this brick building built for $ 330 000
Goverment gets involved via stimulus package and gets the second building built for $ 908 000 somebody is going to be able to afford a whole lot of new toys soon one thinks.

The buildings are at the same school.

[BMKal]

I just don't get it.

Private builder gets this brick building built for $ 330 000
Goverment gets involved via stimulus package and gets the second building built for $ 908 000 somebody is going to be able to afford a whole lot of new toys soon one thinks.

Ahhhh - but the government built one will have the best insulation there is.

[ScottW]

You obviously haven't worked on a govt or council job

They have many departments that review all designs. Different departments want different things. Many times what one department wants directly conflicts with another department. 500 changes are made, extras are added and then removed, the building costs triple and yet still all the private contractors involved lose money on the project.

Govts and councils are generally the employment safetynet for people who weren't good enough to keep a job in the private sector. The smart ones that are good at their job get out.

[BMKal]

Govts and councils are generally the employment safetynet for people who weren't good enough to keep a job in the private sector. The smart ones that are good at their job get out.

Well - at least in some departments, anyway.

[Dave1]

But still. It looks a little more comfortable than my mates shed of the same size that did not cost $908 000. I think we might be heading in the insulation debacle path here again.

[Rosscoe68]

caution, gross overgeneralisation coming
unfortunately this is nothing new with govt departments and govt tendering. if a private company was run like any govt dept they would go broke in no time. tey we tax payers are here to support the govt so they can keep going. used to be the case, don't know if it still happens, that sections of perfectly good road would be ripped up and re laid that were easy to get to so they quarterly/annual/ whatever budget was met and the departments would continue to get funding. if the funding for a period isnt spent, the next period that dept will get a smaller budget, so instead of encouraging money saving in govt, they are discouraging it.

[cucinadio]

I just don't get it.

Private builder gets this brick building built for $ 330 000
Goverment gets involved via stimulus package and gets the second building built for $ 908 000 somebody is going to be able to afford a whole lot of new toys soon one thinks.

The buildings are at the same school.

and I'm sure the 330,000 one was at largely inflated price as well .......mmmmmmmmm.let me see ...im sure that builder was really nice to them and reduced his take just for the good of the school....even the average council grader contractor is clued into inflating a price because its a council job...jjjjjjssssss makes me wonder sometimes ....

hop that was al pelt right and on contex......

cheers

[redrover3]

Exactly the situation we're in at my school. Very frustrating. End up with an empty building instead of a fully equipped centre.
Tony

[ezyrama]

I have a mate who "works" for Q Build on the gold coast who got into trouble from his boss for not going to a particular supplier to purchase items to repair a faulty refrigeration unit. When his boss asked him why he didn't go to the regular supplier he answered, "because those guys are drain dead morons who haven't got a clue. The guys I went to, I used in my last job all the time, they have the technical knowledge to back me up if I need to ask questions and they are a damned sight cheaper for the same brand items". His boss replied " Mate we are Q Build we are not here to make money"!

Another mate who is in the same game worked for Q Build and was told when spotted repairing a refrigerant leak on a unit only 2 years old. " Dont repair it, we get a set budget each year and if we dont spend it all they will reduce it next year, so just replace the whole unit" The mind boggles!

[Basil135]

We are doing the same thing at our school.

The price to do the work is hugely inflated. It is simply a case of supply and demand. The builders have all the work they need at the moment, so if you want it built, you will pay their price.

Now, most schools will jump at the chance of a free building, even with all of the conditions attached. But the money wont be around forever, so the builders are having to pay their tradies more to do the work.

In 2 years time, the prices will be back to normal, but then the fund-raising activities will start again.

Yes, the prices are inflated. We had to scale back the size of our building, and do without some things. But at the end of the day, our school gets a new building that we would never have been able to afford.