Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, , 8:21:52 to 8:26:42
Officials provide updates on the execution of funding agreements and the receipt of costed designs for Bendigo projects, noting that several are still under negotiation with the local council.
Topics: Infrastructure, Procurement
Speakers: Hon Bridget McKenzie, Jacinta McDonald, Hon Malarndirri McCarthy, Senator Glenn Sterle, Unknown Speaker, Lisa Rauter
>> well the department officials are handling it perfectly that there was a labor party process where it seems not a lot of documentation was required in terms of costings and that is what our the department is trying to retrofit fit um in response to delivering the election commitments. Um what analysis was undertaken of the geographic distribution?
>> Sorry, Senator Minister.
>> That's completely inaccurate.
>> It's actually not inaccurate.
>> It's completely inaccurate. Uh chair, uh the offices, officials at the table said uh it was a Labour Party process. They did not go into any other detail and I think it was um important that Senator McKenzie has that on the record.
>> All right. Thank you. Thank you so much, Minister. >> Sorry, I was talking to Senator Roberts at the time and just making some notes straight after that, so I missed all that, but thank you for clearing that up. Uh, Senator, you've got the call.
>> Thank you. Um, Minister, the guidelines were written retrospectively to fit the announcements and the department is doing its best to fulfill the election commitments despite the lack of documentation for a lot of the projects, but we'll get to that. Um what analysis was undertaken of the geographic distribution of funding across regional Victoria?
>> We don't do any analysis on geographic distribution.
>> Did all four Bendigo applications meet each of the three assessment criteria when the applications were submitted? >> Yes. >> And what is the status of the four projects, please? We'll start with the pavilion
Uh it has a funding agreement executed on the 10th of July >> of this year
>> of 2026. >> And the funding agreement is that you are in receipt of costed designs.
>> Well, that would depend on what the first milestone within the contract is. often that can be confirmation of final costs and designs. Um, and then often until that is provided, no payments are made. And while I
>> And do you have in your hands a costed design for the $3 million North Bendigo pavilion upgrade?
>> I would have to take that on notice. I don't have that detail, but no payments have been made to date.
Uh the next project the 2.9
Yeah. So there's a funding agreement in place that was executed on the 7th of July this year.
>> Costed designs in hand.
>> Again I I'd have to take that on notice. Senator,
>> is any money left the department?
>> Uh yes.
>> that would suggest yes you have got a cost of design
>> uh there to date $743,000 325
>> and what was that for?
>> Um part of that was for sponsorship administration costs. Uh confirmation of relevant approvals, confirmation of final costs. Uh a contractor has been engaged um for primitive fences as well as the landscaping works.
>> Fantastic. Thank you. Um was it Truscot?
>> Yes. Trrescot. >> Funding agreement was executed on the Uh and to date no payments have been
made. And do you have in receipt have you received um costed designs?
>> Not yet.
>> Okay. And the kangaroo ground skate park
>> uh that is still under contract
>> So that the funding agreement hasn't been signed. So contract negotiations. What does that mean? Have you got a proponent for the project?
>> Yes. So the >> Uh the Greater Bendigo City Council.
>> And so what are you negotiating?
>> U the various terms and conditions of the contract, the funding uh payment milestones, the the milestones that are the activities that are included in the milestone table, those kinds of things.
Um, I will now go to Eden Monero and Christy McBain.