‘Anything is possible’ transport boss tells Parliament after tram project fails another deadline
THE State Government has given up on setting deadlines for the North Terrace tram extension project, as another date passes.
- July 6: North Terrace tram extension nears completion
- July 11: It’s go, July 29 date set for tram service start
- July 29: Big guns brought in from Europe to fix trams
THE city’s North Terrace tram extension project was due to be completed this week, but when asked for the latest date the Transport Department head could today only tell Parliament “anything is possible”.
Department of Transport acting CEO Julienne TePohe was answering questions on the project which failed its first deadline when the former Labor government could not start service on the line before the March State Election.
The $80 million project could also be about to blow that budget given Ms TePohe’s evidence to the Parliament’s Economic and Finance Committee.
“At this point in time we have not set a new date (for the first passengers),’’ Ms TePohe said.
“We have another meeting with the contractors this afternoon. Anything is possible.’’
Ms TePohe said a new date could not be set for completion because the signalling fault which had halted the project had not yet been fully identified.
She said experts studying the problem had been able to identify that the fault lay with signals from the line to the signalling system, but nothing mote.
She also told the committee the $80 million budget for the project may not be met, pending claims by the contractor given the delays.
Opposition Transport spokesman Tom Koutsantonis seized on the evidence, while accepting some responsibility on behalf of the Labor Party for delays prior to the election.
He said the project was now “off the rails”.
“We have found out today from the committee that the opening could be months away,’’ he said.
Transport Minister Stephan Knoll has been contacted for comment. He was set to open the 900m extension yesterday, after claiming the start date was “set in stone” following a string of problems with the project.