Gold Coast Jewel towers by Yuhu Group resume but still uncertainty

A WORK halt at the Gold Coast’s biggest construction site is over but a leaked email shows the staggering extent of fallout between the developer and its build partner.

A WORK halt at the Gold Coast’s biggest construction site is over but a leaked email shows the staggering extent of fallout between the developer and its build partner.

About 450 workers showed up at the $1.4 billion Jewel beachfront site at Surfers Paradise this morning to resume progress on the ambitious triple towers.

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Construction, Mining, Forestry and Engineering Union (CFMEU) spokesman Scott Vink said the wet weather had hampered what could be done on site.

An aerial view of Jewel worksite after workers walked off the job two weeks ago. Picture Glenn Hampson

“Not much work went on because of the rain. But they turned up. They were there for at least half a day,” he said.

The resumption officially kicked in late last week after workers, in a meeting with CFMEU officials on site, endorsed a return.

It broke a two-week work halt at the towers which have already reached their maximum heights - 41, 47 and 34 floors - but are not scheduled for completion until mid-next year.

A leaked email from the project’s major builder Multiplex to contractors reveals what one sourced called a “substantial” amount of work being taken off Multiplex, presumably for retender.

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The leaked email begins: “The client has directed the omission of a number of work fronts from the Multiplex Head Contract. Unfortunately due to this instruction, Multiplex hereby instruct the omission of the following areas from your respective subcontracts...”

The leaked email then details omissions on all three towers and instructs contractors to finish work on certain floors.

The work halt kicked in originally when confusion hit workers and contractors about what to proceed with two weeks ago. It prompted some contractors to quit the site and focus on other projects whilst half the 900-strong workforce were let go, according to the CFMEU.

A leaked email from builder Multiplex to contractors on the Jewel project reveals the extent of working being taken off Multiplex. Picture Glenn Hampson

Developer Yuhu Group revealed at the time it was still awaitng final designs on the landmark project and - despite keeping on Multiplex as its “major project partner” - would retender chunks of work.

Yuhu Group has promised “priority consideration” to workers and contractors who are already on the project when retendering work.

CFMEU member Scott Vink: “There is still uncertainty as to clarification of work moving forward and we are hoping Yuhu Group will be making some announcements in the near future.” Picture: Jerad Williams

CFMEU spokesman Scott Vink said: “There is still uncertainty as to clarification of work moving forward and we are hoping Yuhu Group will be making some announcements in the near future.

“But we are very pleased it has put a lot of people and families back to planning their futures and lives. But we’ll be even more pleased when we work out the rest of what’s going on with the job.”

A Yuhu Group spokesman said: “At this point we have nothing additional to add other than to re-confirm our commitment to deliver a first class project.”

FULL STORY AND MORE ON THE LEAKED EMAIL IN TOMORROW’S GOLD COAST BULLEIN