Adelaide construction: Big projects need to be fast-tracked according to Master Builders Association
A new city stadium, hospitals and a Supreme Court revamp are among the big projects Adelaide’s construction industry wants fast-tracked to stimulate the economy and boost work for idle workers.
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Major infrastructure projects such as a new Women’s and Children’s Hospital need to be brought forward to stimulate the South Australian economy, the state’s leading construction industry group says.
The Master Builders Association has also called for the creation of a central body to oversee all government infrastructure spending in the state to help speed up developments.
Association chief executive Ian Markos launched the push as his organisation was inundated with calls from members in the construction industry, who do not have work booked in the coming months.
About 70,000 people work in the South Australian construction industry.
Among the projects Mr Markos wants brought forward are the revamp of the Supreme Court precinct, a new city stadium and sporting complex and multiple hospital builds and upgrades.
He argued the “bang for buck” and return on investment for construction with local companies “cannot be matched” and that significant investment would help “lead (the state) out of recession”.
Mr Markos said construction on big projects such as the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital needed to begin soon.
“We’ve spoken about it for years, we all know it’s needed, why on earth can’t we just get on with it now,” Mr Markos said.
“The government should be doing everything within its power to move this on quickly.”
He said the refurbishment of government buildings was “long overdue” and could be brought forward.
“A tram extension would help revitalise North Adelaide, the new city stadium and entertainment complex, a new concert hall at the Festival Centre,” he said.
“Particularly at a time when we’re still in a global pandemic, not only the Women’s and Children’s but the redevelopment of Flinders and the QEH all make sense and the money is there.
“All we hear about is roads but roads don’t deliver that bang for buck, particularly when a lot of the companies that do that work are interstaters.”
Mr Markos also said the fact individual government departments were responsible for projects, rather than a central co-ordinating body, was stifling projects that could boost the state’s economy.
“No person is across all (the projects),” he said.
“We think the time has come for it to be centrally co-ordinated with someone to take responsibility and prioritise fast-tracking all government capital works.”
Treasurer Rob Lucas said he was in “furious agreement” that projects should be fast-tracked – but he said the government was already doing it.
“There’s a significant number of school projects, in particular, which are being fast-tracked and brought forward,” Mr Lucas said.
“Road maintenance, road widening and the like are being fast-tracked, particularly in regional areas.
“There’s a series of significant projects – not billion dollar projects – but tens and hundred of millions.”
He also said residential development was “going gangbusters”.
However, he said the Infrastructure Department already oversaw most government projects and he was “not convinced” a central body would help speed up projects.