Mr WOOD - 2002-02-26
Recently I was approached by a constituent who had concerns about the tender system. In November last year, I believe the government signed off on the tenders for the dental clinic at Casuarina. I think it was won by a company called Woodbridge. Is it true that no work has commenced on this dental clinic yet because the government has a policy that every minister must sign off on the project? If it is the policy, why do you have every minister sign off on the project, and do ministers whose portfolios have nothing to do with the dental clinic sign off the project as well? Why does this policy not apply earlier in the stage before the tender is approved, and is the policy delaying the start of important work which is needed to give a much needed boost to a sluggish economy?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I will try to bring you up to date on where this process has got to, and how it is being conducted. With the NT Property Section, of which I recently took up carriage, we certainly have a process whereby the tenders in the case of the re-establishment of the dental clinic were assessed by a working party comprised of representatives of NT Property Management, the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment and the Department of Health and Community Services. Of the seven submissions that were lodged at the start of this process, four would-be developers were shortlisted. At no stage up to that point was there any ministerial involvement in the process.
The only point at which there is involvement on my part is where the property management section has reached a decision on the preferred developer. I can report that that point has now been reached and that there has been a preferred developer identified. But because that group has not yet been contacted by Property Management, nor the unsuccessful tenderers, I would prefer not to mention that name today. I can say though that there is no reason why the development at Casuarina cannot proceed very quickly because we are through the process of identifying the developer and there are no further constraints on them beginning work. I hope that answers your question.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I will try to bring you up to date on where this process has got to, and how it is being conducted. With the NT Property Section, of which I recently took up carriage, we certainly have a process whereby the tenders in the case of the re-establishment of the dental clinic were assessed by a working party comprised of representatives of NT Property Management, the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment and the Department of Health and Community Services. Of the seven submissions that were lodged at the start of this process, four would-be developers were shortlisted. At no stage up to that point was there any ministerial involvement in the process.
The only point at which there is involvement on my part is where the property management section has reached a decision on the preferred developer. I can report that that point has now been reached and that there has been a preferred developer identified. But because that group has not yet been contacted by Property Management, nor the unsuccessful tenderers, I would prefer not to mention that name today. I can say though that there is no reason why the development at Casuarina cannot proceed very quickly because we are through the process of identifying the developer and there are no further constraints on them beginning work. I hope that answers your question.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016