Labor refers Adrian Schrinner to auditor-general over Metro tenders

Labor's candidate for lord mayor Rod Harding says he has written to the Queensland auditor-general requesting he investigate the procurement process for Brisbane Metro.

It follows lord mayor Adrian Schrinner's claim earlier this week that the state government had unexpectedly required a change in the Brisbane Metro designs, forcing procurement to be suspended the same day the council had closed tenders.

Rod Harding has referred lord mayor Adrian Schrinner to the Auditor-General.Credit: Jocelyn Garcia

The state informed the council last Friday that the planned Cultural Centre Metro stop would need to be relocated under the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, triggering a fight between the council and the state.

Mr Harding criticised the lord mayor for going to tender without state government approvals, claiming the delayed tendering process could open up the council to legal disputes from the three companies that submitted bids last Friday.

Queensland Major Contractors Association chief executive Jon Davies had on Wednesday said the contractors had spent millions on their bids.

He said the contractors were "in shock" after Cr Schrinner announced the delays on Wednesday at a private lunch function, before the contractors had been informed.

Mr Harding called on the lord mayor to stand aside while the auditor-general investigated.

“It is clear that there are serious probity issues now involved in this project, with Brisbane ratepayers’ on the hook for millions of dollars in fees to the three contractors, and depending on what assurances Adrian Schrinner gave to them, potentially tens of millions of dollars in legal liabilities," Mr Harding said.

“It is absolutely shocking that a major infrastructure project in this city would be put out to tender by a Lord Mayor when no approvals were in place and when the full scope of the project was not even known.”

A spokesman for Cr Schrinner dismissed Mr Harding's comments as "another Labor attempt to slow down Brisbane Metro and bury it in red tape".

The state government released new draft images of what South Brisbane's notorious Grey and Melbourne Streets intersection could look like if Brisbane Metro was moved to beneath the Convention Centre.Credit: Queensland Government

On Thursday, Transport Minister Mark Bailey said the council's decision to go out to tender had been at their own risk, and he had written several times to the council in the past year to warn them of that.

The minister released new plans showing the proposed redesign and landscaping of the Cultural Centre precinct should the Metro stop be relocated under the Convention Centre.

Mr Bailey said he thought it "pretty unusual" for procurement to begin without state approvals finalised on such a massive project.