News Gabba Upgrade & Olympics News

[notliondown]

$3000 a week base rate for a sparky + penalties and allowances, and pretty much $2000 for everyone else. And those penalties add up quick. Add in a 36 hour week and the humidity and wet weather clauses... why do I work for myself? Holy.

This is why projects blow out in such spectacular fashion. It's impossible to gauge performance, and harder to impose penalties for lack of it.

Gov't contracts should be a fixed price basis. Make assumptions for all of those things up front - and issue a fixed price contract. It's what we have to do in the private sector. This open cheque book stuff is mind boggling.

 

[notliondown]

I hate A Current Affair but this was a really interesting report on Stadiums accross Australia. I think the media might be trying to finally change the narrative a little around this whole thing...

Are our Aussie sporting and entertainment facilities up to scratch?

As Brisbane prepares to host the 2032 Olympics, the biggest names in Aussie showbiz and sport fear we may e...

9now.nine.com.au

 

[M Malice]

$3000 a week base rate for a sparky + penalties and allowances, and pretty much $2000 for everyone else. And those penalties add up quick. Add in a 36 hour week and the humidity and wet weather clauses... why do I work for myself? Holy.

This is why projects blow out in such spectacular fashion. It's impossible to gauge performance, and harder to impose penalties for lack of it.

Gov't contracts should be a fixed price basis. Make assumptions for all of those things up front - and issue a fixed price contract. It's what we have to do in the private sector. This open cheque book stuff is mind boggling.

They like to gluttonize at the Government/Tax Payer trough.

 

[M Malice]

I hate A Current Affair but this was a really interesting report on Stadiums accross Australia. I think the media might be trying to finally change the narrative a little around this whole thing...

Are our Aussie sporting and entertainment facilities up to scratch?

As Brisbane prepares to host the 2032 Olympics, the biggest names in Aussie showbiz and sport fear we may e...

9now.nine.com.au

Hopefully the lunacy of our Political leaders is being exposed to the wider public finally.

 

[Dom PC]

$3000 a week base rate for a sparky + penalties and allowances, and pretty much $2000 for everyone else. And those penalties add up quick. Add in a 36 hour week and the humidity and wet weather clauses... why do I work for myself? Holy.

This is why projects blow out in such spectacular fashion. It's impossible to gauge performance, and harder to impose penalties for lack of it.

Gov't contracts should be a fixed price basis. Make assumptions for all of those things up front - and issue a fixed price contract. It's what we have to do in the private sector. This open cheque book stuff is mind boggling.

I've worked on successful tenders for high rise building projects. Many of the contractors with overtime and allowances were budgeted to be paid over $300k a year. This is for individual contractors employed for the project. Good on them, but the prices they are paid are outrageous. The irony in my comment is I couldn't think of anything worse them spending everyday in an outdoor construction site - give me my airconditioned office everyday of the week

The thing I always remind myself is that apart from the very smart ones who start their own business, many of the individual contractors bodies are shot by the time they are in their 50s, so there is a price they do pay (i.e. they do work hard for that money).

 

[Dalions]

I've worked on successful tenders for high rise building projects. Many of the contractors with overtime and allowances were budgeted to be paid over $300k a year. This is for individual contractors employed for the project. Good on them, but the prices they are paid are outrageous. The irony in my comment is I couldn't think of anything worse them spending everyday in an outdoor construction site - give me my airconditioned office everyday of the week

The thing I always remind myself is that apart from the very smart ones who start their own business, many of the individual contractors bodies are shot by the time they are in their 50s, so there is a price they do pay (i.e. they do work hard for that money).

As a tradie these days, if you are not earning $3000+Gst per week these days you r not making any money.
If you are meeting all requirements, the insurances and licenses are outrageous.

 

[notliondown]

The 3k base rate is not the issue... a good tradie should be earning that - especially a sole trader or small business operator. And as someone self employed if you can make $300k more power to you. It's fantastic really and makes a mockery of the go to uni mantra.

The differences are the utterly ridiculous clauses, penalties and allowances.

You might as well shut every site down between November and March - above 35 degree or 29/75percent humidity?? In Qld?? And you can't get wet?? Or be shifted to a dry site? You have to have a covered walkway?

The additional time and costs those 2 things bring will delay major projects by years and add costs never seen before.

The reality of actually being a tradie is working in the elements - that's just life. The private sector would crumble under the weight of these clauses.

 

[notliondown]

I've worked on successful tenders for high rise building projects. Many of the contractors with overtime and allowances were budgeted to be paid over $300k a year. This is for individual contractors employed for the project. Good on them, but the prices they are paid are outrageous. The irony in my comment is I couldn't think of anything worse them spending everyday in an outdoor construction site - give me my airconditioned office everyday of the week

The thing I always remind myself is that apart from the very smart ones who start their own business, many of the individual contractors bodies are shot by the time they are in their 50s, so there is a price they do pay (i.e. they do work hard for that money).

I would happily salary every decent tradie on a site at a fixed rate - $300k like you say - and well above going. That way on a yearly basis you are fully in control of your costs. And you have a level of expectation of performance. Currently you are best guessing and it's never close.

But true - I'm happy to now sit in my office and bash out designs and emails and whip my contractors

 

[Bucking Beads]

As a tradie these days, if you are not earning $3000+Gst per week these days you r not making any money.
If you are meeting all requirements, the insurances and licenses are outrageous.

It’s the $200k a year for unskilled labour on these Union sites that is an absolute piss take. The unions certainly do more harm than good.

 

[luthor]

View attachment 1955565

Just wait until you see the stereo!

Runs well.

Renovator's dream

 

[scoman]

Runs well.

Renovator's dream

Just needs 20-30k spent on it and it will be almost as good as a new one. For a few months anyway.

 

[buttermuffs]

It’s the $200k a year for unskilled labour on these Union sites that is an absolute piss take. The unions certainly do more harm than good.

What kind of unskilled labour are you talking about?


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[BuntonRules]

I would happily salary every decent tradie on a site at a fixed rate - $300k like you say - and well above going. That way on a yearly basis you are fully in control of your costs. And you have a level of expectation of performance. Currently you are best guessing and it's never close.

But true - I'm happy to now sit in my office and bash out designs and emails and whip my contractors

Spot on.

Methinx the availability of skilled staff will be a bigger hurdle than their cost.

 

[lionraven]

If the AFL committed to a second Brisbane team from 2033 onwards (and guaranteed some money) - would that push the needle for a 50k Vic Park stadium vs a hobolympics QSAC 2032? (and same with cricket pushing Brisbane 2 in the BBL)

 

[kranger]

Just to be facetious, if John Coates really want the budget Olympics, he should not be ok with a New 14,000 capacity QSAC (temporary up to 40,000 for the Olympics) that costs $1.6b.

He should be pushing for the $500m fix up to the Gabba that has now been promised (along with $500m for Lang Park) and host the athletics there, even if it is only a capacity of 32,000 for the Olympics.

That saves a further $1.6b on build the new facility at QSAC as well as the transport costs to serve it.

 

[Lionwest]

Timing is everything, for a club struggling to make ends meet we are fortunate the club head honchos pressed ahead with the BHA development and got it done. The $80m price tag is a good bit of business, would hate to think how much additional debt the club would have had to take on in todays construction and political landscape. Given the Olympic fiasco, I’d say we would still have been on the merry-go-round for funding.

 

[Grasshopper17]

Very hard to cut back on the amount of food they consume for some athletes, especially endurance athletes who often eat large carb loaded diets, when they quit competing.

This is my excuse also.

 

[Sanchez365]

As much as I think we already have too many public servants, separating infrastructure from government & having independent state & federal bodies that look after infrastructure planning wouldn't be a bad thing.

You'd still get a level of corruption no doubt, but maybe not as blatant as the scrapped East West link project in Victoria under the Andrews government, which was then replaced by the West East link project.......

You have said this a few times now but I have no idea what the West East link project is. Are you talking about the westgate tunnel?

 

[BangyBangy]

You have said this a few times now but I have no idea what the West East link project is. Are you talking about the westgate tunnel?

Yeah, it's now called the West Gate Tunnel. Which is a stepped up version of the initial alternative (I forget the name).

Cancelling the East West link cost a billion dollars.

I have no problem with any of the infrastructure projects, but keep them out of the hands of politicians.

 

[dlanod]

Yeah, it's now called the West Gate Tunnel. Which is a stepped up version of the initial alternative (I forget the name).

Cancelling the East West link cost a billion dollars.

I have no problem with any of the infrastructure projects, but keep them out of the hands of politicians.

And the only reason it cost that was because the previous government rushed through contracts with deliberately poorly negotiated break clauses to try to **** over Andrews. Same thing happened here in NSW with the buses when it became obvious the Libs were going to lose. I'm waiting for Labor in Qld to do the same with the stadium plans.

 

[Section 5]

And the only reason it cost that was because the previous government rushed through contracts with deliberately poorly negotiated break clauses to try to * over Andrews. Same thing happened here in NSW with the buses when it became obvious the Libs were going to lose. I'm waiting for Labor in Qld to do the same with the stadium plans.

I don't recall much about the Vic & NSW issues.
Could you give a brief example of what you think Qld. Labor may do regarding the stadium plans.

 

[Iron Turtle]

Looks like Coates has been persuaded to appear at the senate enquiry.

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/na...es-to-inquiry-appearance-20240415-p5fk27.html


John Coates has change of heart, agrees to inquiry appearance
By Cameron Atfield
April 16, 2024 — 5.17am


Australian Olympic supremo John Coates has been listed to appear before a Senate inquiry into Brisbane’s 2032 Olympic Games preparations, after previously declining an offer to provide evidence at Wednesday’s hearing.

This masthead revealed last week that Coates, whose intervention Premier Steven Miles credited with the Queensland government’s controversial decision to select the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre on Brisbane’s southside at the main athletics stadium, had declined an invitation to appear before the inquiry.

But Coates has since had a change of heart, and is listed as the second witness for Wednesday’s hearing in Brisbane.

Senate inquiries have the power to compel witnesses to appear, but it was understood Coates was persuaded to appear, without being compelled.

Comment has been sought from Sydney-based Coates, who will appear via teleconference.

Former Brisbane lord mayor Graham Quirk was listed as first to appear at the hearing at the Hotel Grand Chancellor, overlooking the Roma Street Parklands – where he recommended the new Brisbane Arena be built.

It was Quirk’s 60-day review into Olympic venues that indirectly highlighted Coates’s influence on Brisbane 2032 planning.

The Quirk review recommended a new stadium be built at Victoria Park as a long-term replacement for the Gabba, but Coates pushed the cheaper QSAC option as part of the International Olympic Committee’s “new norm” of using existing infrastructure – a policy Coates had championed after previous controversies of cost blow-outs and white elephants.

Also scheduled to provide evidence on Wednesday was Archipelago Architects founding director Peter Edwards, whose Brisbane Bold vision first mooted a stadium at Victoria Park, and who last week criticised Coates’ refusal to appear.

Former lord mayors Campbell Newman, Jim Soorley and Sallyanne Atkinson will also give evidence. All three, from both sides of politics, united last week to oppose any new stadium at Victoria Park.

Two Queensland government directors-general – Graham Fraine from the Department of State Development and Infrastructure, and Sally Stannard from the Transport Department – were scheduled to provide evidence, as was Stadiums Queensland chief executive, Todd Harris.

Other scheduled witnesses included Olympian Kieran Perkins, in his capacity as Australian Sports Commission chief executive, and Victoria Park/Barrambin Residents Action Group representative Rosemary O’Hagan.

 

[dlanod]

I don't recall much about the Vic & NSW issues.
Could you give a brief example of what you think Qld. Labor may do regarding the stadium plans.

East West Link:

• The Victorian Liberal government signed contracts with a ridiculous $1.1b break clause in September 2014, two months before the state election they were clearly tipped to lose, in an attempt to force Labor to honour the Liberal Party's road plans. The new Labor government negotiated it down to $330m.

Sydney bus contracts:

• The NSW Liberal government signed $4.8b of contracts with no late penalties and no break clauses for Sydney buses in Februrary 2023, five weeks before the state election they were expected to lose. The Labor government has honoured those contracts and we continue to have a quarter to half of our bus services cancelled on any given day with no recompense.

It's possible the Labor party follows either of the above models and signs contracts prior to the election with correspondingly disproportionate break clauses to lock in and force the Liberal Party to honour their stadium plans, given Qld Labor is also clearly tipped to lose the election.

 

[M Malice]

Looks like Coates has been persuaded to appear at the senate enquiry.

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/na...es-to-inquiry-appearance-20240415-p5fk27.html


John Coates has change of heart, agrees to inquiry appearance
By Cameron Atfield
April 16, 2024 — 5.17am


Australian Olympic supremo John Coates has been listed to appear before a Senate inquiry into Brisbane’s 2032 Olympic Games preparations, after previously declining an offer to provide evidence at Wednesday’s hearing.

This masthead revealed last week that Coates, whose intervention Premier Steven Miles credited with the Queensland government’s controversial decision to select the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre on Brisbane’s southside at the main athletics stadium, had declined an invitation to appear before the inquiry.

But Coates has since had a change of heart, and is listed as the second witness for Wednesday’s hearing in Brisbane.

Senate inquiries have the power to compel witnesses to appear, but it was understood Coates was persuaded to appear, without being compelled.

Comment has been sought from Sydney-based Coates, who will appear via teleconference.

Former Brisbane lord mayor Graham Quirk was listed as first to appear at the hearing at the Hotel Grand Chancellor, overlooking the Roma Street Parklands – where he recommended the new Brisbane Arena be built.

It was Quirk’s 60-day review into Olympic venues that indirectly highlighted Coates’s influence on Brisbane 2032 planning.

The Quirk review recommended a new stadium be built at Victoria Park as a long-term replacement for the Gabba, but Coates pushed the cheaper QSAC option as part of the International Olympic Committee’s “new norm” of using existing infrastructure – a policy Coates had championed after previous controversies of cost blow-outs and white elephants.

Also scheduled to provide evidence on Wednesday was Archipelago Architects founding director Peter Edwards, whose Brisbane Bold vision first mooted a stadium at Victoria Park, and who last week criticised Coates’ refusal to appear.

Former lord mayors Campbell Newman, Jim Soorley and Sallyanne Atkinson will also give evidence. All three, from both sides of politics, united last week to oppose any new stadium at Victoria Park.

Two Queensland government directors-general – Graham Fraine from the Department of State Development and Infrastructure, and Sally Stannard from the Transport Department – were scheduled to provide evidence, as was Stadiums Queensland chief executive, Todd Harris.

Other scheduled witnesses included Olympian Kieran Perkins, in his capacity as Australian Sports Commission chief executive, and Victoria Park/Barrambin Residents Action Group representative Rosemary O’Hagan.

Will this enquiry be able to make recommendations? If so can they compel the recommendations?

 

[Elixuh]

I wouldn’t hold your breath on the senate enquiry achieving anything.