Welding defects raise questions when GMHBA Stadium will get to capacity above 40,000
Cats fans hoping for seats in the new GMHBA Stadium stand may have to wait longer than expected after defects were found in building materials.
Geelong
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Welding defects found on tonnes of imported steel meant for the redevelopment of GMHBA Stadium have cast doubt over the mid-year opening of the new 14,000-seat stand, the metal manufacturing union says.
But the state government, funder of the $142m project, said it was on track for a mid-year completion.
Builder Watpac is using 1200 tonnes of steel imported from Qatar and 560 tonnes of Australian steel for the two-tier stand that will lift capacity of the stadium to more than 40,000 people.
The AFL has backended Geelong games at GMHBA Stadium this season with the club hoping the new stand will be opened in time for the games.
After June 22 Geelong is due to play six of its last nine games at GMHBA Stadium.
The Geelong Football Club told members last year it would not sell seats in the new stand before it had clarity which games it would be opened for.
Victorian organiser for the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU), Tony Hynds, said defects were found in eight imported steel bases which were due to be used to hold up the roof of the new stand.
It will probably open this year but it won’t be when they are saying. There will be a delay (to the opening),” Mr Hynds said.
“There’s been delays in the steel arriving. There’s been quality issues in the welding.
“The sequence of more steel arriving, it’s coming by container, will be another three or four weeks. This is coming from people who are running the project, as in management.”
AMWU welding inspector Ronald Smith, who viewed some of the imported steel last week, said he spotted holes in welding holding components together.
“They are critical items in the build. To my mind they should all be inspected singularly,” Mr Smith, who has been inspecting welding since 1992, said.
About 20 two-tonne steel basesare due to be used in the construction of the stand.
Watpac can’t talk to the media about the project under terms of its contract with the state government.
A state government spokesman said welding defects were found in imported steel and Watpac would be responsible to fix the issues.
The spokesman said the project was on track to be completed in mid-2023.
“The Kardinia Park Stadium Trust continues to work with the builder who has a comprehensive quality assurance process, ensuring all structural steel is fit for purpose and meets Australian Standards,” the spokesman said.
“Stage five of the Kardinia Park redevelopment is on track to exceed its 91 per cent local content requirement, with up to 560 tonnes of locally fabricated steel used on the project.”
Mr Hynds said if Watpac wanted to meet the mid-year opening for the stand it would likely have to work more shifts and work through the traditional Easter shut down of construction.
He said Watpac would likely decide this week if new bases needed to be built or if faulty welds on the existing bases would be grinded back and rewelded.
Mr Smith said he had concerns the imported steel contained unequal welding and welds not deep enough for the size of the material.
He said Watpac had cut out parts of the steel so its suitability could be tested.
“It defies logic that a product has been signed off (from a standard point of view)... and been delivered then (the builder) is going to verify the material.
“It’s like taking someone’s heart out and giving them a heart transplant before you decide there heart is no good.”
The Geelong Advertiser has seen pictures of the welding that shows some of it does not cover both edges of a join.
The redevelopment of Kardinia Park will also establish a northern entry plaza, sports museum, a regional cricket hub and function room.
The decision to import steel for the project came after the price of locally sourced steel rose by 44.6 per cent in the year to March 2022.
Thirteen Victorian sub-contractors appointed to redevelopment are supplying products such as
seating, concrete, masonry and roofing.
The Construction Forestry Mining & Energy Union was contacted for comment but did not respond before deadline.
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