Fed:Commissioner relates his own experience of building industry

AAP General News (Australia)
12-10-2001
Fed:Commissioner relates his own experience of building industry

MELBOURNE, Dec 10 AAP - Royal Commissioner Terence Cole opened the first day of public
hearings into Australia's building industry today lamenting delays in the construction
of the hearing room.

Mr Cole said it was a "matter of regret" there was not a full electronic public hearing
room in operation at the commission's Collins Street headquarters.

The factors behind the delay were "relevant to the work of the commission" and might
warrant consideration, he said.

Work on the room stopped on November 30 after union and builder representatives identified
occupational health and safety issues.

"These included matters such as the storage of fluorescent light tubes, an apparent
need to seal tiles, cracked ceiling tiles, the need for running water in the first aid
room and the proximity of live cabling in one area," Mr Cole said.

No work occurred for three days, which included a union picnic day.

Mr Cole said union representatives then made demands of the staff of an interstate
IT company which was installing the cabling.

He said it was understood the union representatives insisted payments be made, including
retrospective payments, to a builders' superannuation fund and a redundancy fund.

"They also insisted that no further cabling work proceed until their demands had been
met," he said.

The demands were rejected, but in all, no cabling work was undertaken for more than five days.

"That is the commission's present understanding as to why the electronic systems are
not operative today and why the building works are incomplete," Mr Cole said.

AAP lmw/clr/hu/sb :

KEYWORD: CONSTRUCTION DELAY

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