First peek at what troubled Myilly Park looks like
After a year-long delay and a million-dollar cost blowout, we’ve finally had a look at the new Myilly Park and what $4 million in taxpayer dollars has bought us. SEE THE PICS.
Northern Territory
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THE troubled Myilly Point Park has been scaled back amid a monster seven-figure budget blowout and year-long delay.
Fencing has come down for the newly refurbished Myilly Point Park, with the NT government saying the park is set to open in May.
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But despite the eye-watering $4 million price tag, most of the park is yet to have asbestos remediation completed.
A walking and running track originally flagged for the park has also been dropped from the first stage of the project due to the cost of removing asbestos.
The park, itself a replacement of the controversial $50 million museum project, was delayed by over a year after lengthy remediation works to remove asbestos from the site.
The project’s cost ballooned from $2.7 million to $4 million in the meantime.
When asked about the result, a spokeswoman for infrastructure minister Eva Lawler said elements of the park wouldn’t be redeveloped until later.
“The construction of the playground precinct is underway and expected to be open by early May this year,” the spokeswoman said.
“Stage 2 of the Myilly Point redevelopment will be a running track and exercise equipment over the larger area of the site,” she said.
The spokeswoman said the running track was not delivered during stage 1 due to the wider presence of asbestos on the old hospital site.
A map posted to the NT government website shows only a small slice of the large park site has been remediated, despite the $1.7 million budget overrun.
“Asbestos mapping of the remaining area has also been completed so future works on the site can occur to plan and schedule,” the spokeswoman said.
The CLP opposition has previously identified the park as one of two projects it claimed was “economic blunders”, alongside the demolition of the Chan Building.
“Both projects have blown out by half their original budget,” deputy opposition leader Gerard Maley said.
“These are prime examples of Labor’s ongoing and negligent fiscal mismanagement,” Mr Maley said.
The park is anticipated to open in early May, according to the government.
Originally published as First peek at what troubled Myilly Park looks like
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