Lockyer footpath renewal goes $40k above budget

A local footpath renewal project in the Lockyer Valley is more than $40,000 over budget. DETAILS HERE:

Lockyer Valley Regional Council Chambers, Gatton. Picture: Dominic Elsome

A PROJECT to renew a footpath in one of the Lockyer Valley’s main streets has been predicted to be a whopping $44,000 over budget.

It was revealed on Wednesday at the Lockyer Valley Regional Council meeting that the project to upgrade the Patrick Street footpath at Laidley was costing significantly more to complete than budgeted.

Cr Chris Wilson said it was extraordinary for a footpath to be so over budget and it was a bad look for the council.

He said the renewal project was sold to council as an “easy and straightforward” task and such a blowout should not have occurred.

Cr Janice Holstein, who’s portfolio is responsible for infrastructure planning, said the project had been flagged as being “much more complicated” than first anticipated due to the number of utilities and location of driveways along the street.

“I wish we had done more work prior to the project starting so this had not happened” Cr Holstein said.

The council‘s monthly financial reports showed the footpath renewal project was budgeted to cost $175,000 but was now $44,146 above that figure.

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