Taskforce highlights North Coast rorts and rip-offs of Labor’s $16 billion BER program

December 15, 2010

Today’s release of the Building the Education Revolution Taskforce’s First Report confirms many north coast schools have received poor value for money from the Gillard Government’s $16 billion BER program, Federal MP Luke Hartsuyker said today.

“The rorts and rip-offs which have plagued the BER program are confirmed in this report,” Mr Hartsuyker said.  “Taskforce Chair Brad Orgill has singled out eight government schools in the Cowper electorate where school communities complained about poor value for money, poor quality of work and the de-scoping of many projects.

“Those local schools are Corindi, Nana Glen, Narranga, Eungai, Scotts Head, Stuarts Point, Repton and Willawarrin public schools. The Taskforce made it very clear that when it came to the cost of projects, many north coast school projects did not represent value for money. This is what school communities have been saying for a long time.

“Scotts Head  and Corindi public schools were two of the worst affected, with the Taskforce giving each project zero out of ten for value for money on cost. Whilst other schools such as Stuart’s Point also failed the cost test, the government has obviously been in damage control to limit the fall-out from their gross mismanagement of this program. Many school projects are now being ‘re-scoped’, which in many cases means more taxpayer’s money being spent to give the schools what they were promised.”

Mr Hartsuyker said management contractors of local projects also attracted criticism from the Taskforce.

“The report notes that on the north coast there were serious shortcomings arising from the management contractor’s delivery and installation process. The government has also been criticised for not listening to school communities to determine what their needs. Instead the government arrogantly told the schools what they would get. From day one, this program has been farcical and Julia Gillard has been in denial. The government has spent $16 billion of borrowed money giving many schools infrastructure they didn’t want or need.

“It’s just another government mess and is a further reminder that when it comes to managing money, you can’t trust Labor.”