NT government to appoint Howard Springs crisis centre ‘director’ amid several damage repair tenders

The NT government has a highly-paid job on offer for a new public servant to oversee ‘repairs’ at the Howard Springs crisis centre. Here’s what we know about the damage bill so far.

Tender documents reveal the NT government is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair and maintain the Howard Springs facility.

The government is set to appoint a new highly-paid public servant to oversee “repairs maintenance” and “daily operation” of the Howard Springs Centre for National Resilience.

The Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics is seeking a director of infrastructure at the facility, which was reportedly widely damaged during a recent weeks-long stay of flood evacuees.

The job advertisement follows a $98,000 tender to replace 265 mattresses and a $30,000 tender to conduct “condition assessment inspections” – both of which were awarded after being advertised for one day in April.

However, a spokeswoman for the Infrastructure Department said the outcome of the condition assessments would not be publicly released.

About 670 windows were reportedly smashed at the Howard Springs facility as it housed flood evacuees from Kalkarindji, Pigeon Hole and Daguragu. Picture: Supplied

“These assessments will identify repair and maintenance requirements which will be managed and completed through established period contracts,” she said.

“The condition assessments are expected to take approximately three to four weeks.”

Nine News Darwin has reported 670 windows were smashed during the flood evacuees’ stay.

The new director of infrastructure at the Howard Springs facility will be paid about $180,000 per year for the ongoing, full-time position.

That salary package, combined with the tenders issued for the facility since April, totals more than $300,000.

The director will be required to “oversee the management and co-ordination of repairs maintenance, capital works and daily operation of the facility”.

The CLP’s Namatjira MLA Bill Yan has called Chief Minister Natasha Fyles’ leadership into question over damage to the Howard Springs centre. Picture: Che Chorley

The CLP’s treasury spokesman Bill Yan accused Chief Minister Natasha Fyles, who for weeks maintained the facility’s damage was only “wear and tear”, of “outsourcing her own leadership”.

“In the Labor government’s own ‘restoring integrity’ discussion paper released in 2016 they state, ‘Territorians have the right to access government information – it belongs to all of us’,” Mr Yan said.

“This statement couldn’t be further from the truth.

“We still don’t know the exact cost of the repairs to Howard Springs but we already know that it is going to cost in excess of just $650,000 to replace the broken windows.

“This should be a warning to all Territorians about how Labor is spending their money.”

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles addresses the media at the Howard Springs facility. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

During Tuesday’s parliament sittings, CLP Nelson MLA Gerard Maley asked Ms Fyles to respond to the allegation of “outsourcing your leadership to fix the mess you created”.

“Member for Nelson, I call you out on suggesting that the people who have been through a natural disaster somehow were not worthy of having access to the Centre for National Resilience,” Ms Fyles said in reply.

“If people have caused damage they will be held to account. The majority of the evacuees were responsible.

“I suggest those opposite stop playing race politics … you should be ashamed of your behaviour”.

Originally published as NT government to appoint Howard Springs crisis centre ‘director’ amid several damage repair tenders