[COM] New Royal Adelaide Hospital | $2.1b

[[Shuz]]

I suspect this one's topped out now. From the view in my office window, I can't seem to see any core boxes sticking out any more and it looks like the floorplates have now reached the final roof height.

[pushbutton]

Personally I think that for such a massive building it has gone up incredibly fast!

[I Follow PAFC]

[HeapsGood]

Completion of new Royal Adelaide Hospital delayed by more than 12 months as litigation and relationship breakdowns take toll
CRAIG COOK EXCLUSIVE THE ADVERTISER JULY 31, 2014 11:19PM

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 7009367300

THE completion of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital will be delayed by more than 12 months as years of litigation and relationship breakdowns dog the state’s biggest project.

Senior sources, inside the project consortium and State Government, last night confirmed the $1.85 billion building project was at “crisis point”.

An investigation by The Advertiser can reveal relationship breakdowns between the state government, the project consortium SA Health Partnership and the joint venture contractor Hansen Yuncken Leighton Contractors are at the centre of the crisis.

In response to a number of questions put by The Advertiser yesterday, SA Health Partnership denied there would be any delay in the completion date.

“We are in the third year of a five-year construction process,” their statement reads.

“The completion date of 2016 remains unchanged and we are focused on achieving this target.”

But an industry source has confirmed delays were now “built in” and would extend the contractual finish date by at least a year beyond the initial April 2016 completion.

The source said the work schedule at the site was “stacked” — meaning there was no more flexibility to move jobs around to keep the work flowing.

Other major issues contributing to delays and cost blowouts include:

THE Government and HYLC have been in mediation over numerous disputes for 15 months.

A LACK of trust between Hansen Yuncken employees and Leighton employees;

LITTLE independent verification of construction quality;

A LACK of clarity of who on the SAHP team is leading the project and making decisions;

INTERFERENCE from interstate-based unions impacting on workflows;

LITTLE independent evaluation of the costs of each aspect of the project; and,

GOVERNMENT indecision over buying equipment and Information and Technology Communication systems.

The new RAH is heading the same way as the Fiona Stanley Hospital recently completed in Perth but issues are “far worse”, sources say.

That project led to a WA parliamentary report released last month saying government indecision at the hospital — mainly on IT — cost taxpayers $400m.

A government source last night confirmed it was aware there would be a major delay on the project.

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union SA secretary Aaron Cartledge represents 800 workers on the North Tce site.

Mr Cartledge said it was time for the government to come clean about delays.

“You can’t delay the inevitable — this is not something they can tell everyone the week before it happens — it’s a six month handover on this job from the old to the new,” he said.

“They would have to do that (make an announcement about delays) at least a year out.”

Mr Cartledge said disputes over soil remediation — estimated to cost the government up to $80 million in variations — were not the only factor in the expected delays.

“Soil remediation set them back four or five months but typical of government jobs there have been a number of design issues that have taken a long time to resolve,” he added.

“Bad weather, faults and mechanical issues with cranes, accidents and near misses are other factors.

“You can go on that site and day or night and find real safety issues — that’s the reality we work with.”

Mr Cartledge said there was “heavy politics” at the site.

“You’ve got two very different cultures with Leighton’s and Hansen Yuncken that don’t get on that well,” he said.

“They’ve both got huge teams on the site just checking out what the other company is up to — the litigation will go on for years.

“It doesn’t help morale on the job.”

The RAH is the biggest infrastructure project in the state’s history and the second biggest single building project in Australian history after the new Parliament House in Canberra.

Mr Cartledge said his members were still extremely supportive of the project.

“It’s the biggest commercial project we’ve ever done in South Australia and we’re very supportive — it’s going to be a magnificent piece of infrastructure for the state when it’s finished — but it’s a real struggle.”

Health Minister Jack Snelling last night noted the consortium’s public statement that the completion date had not changed.

“The Government would expect the consortium to deliver the project safely and in accordance with all occupational health and safety regulations.” he said.

[how good is he]

I found this surprising....I read that behind only Parliament house in Canberra, this is the most expensive single building project ever undertaken in Australia.

[crawf]

I found this surprising....I read that behind only Parliament house in Canberra, this is the most expensive single building project ever undertaken in Australia.

That surely can't be right.

[how good is he]

From yesterday's Advertiser
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/...austra ... 7009367300
1 day ago - The RAH is the biggest infrastructure project in the state's history and the second biggest single building project in Australian history after the new Parliament House in Canberra.

[ghs]

In my opinion this project was always going to blow out.

Big government projects likethis never go smoothly, look at the other projects here in SA - Desalination plant,
Collins Class submarines, etc.

[cruel_world00]

I love this.

The bold bit is the official statement. And then the rest of the "article" is basically written off rumour and innuendo. I'm happy to be proven wrong, and the likelihood is there is the potential for delays, but at this stage there is no official word on any of that.

THE completion of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital will be delayed by more than 12 months as years of litigation and relationship breakdowns dog the state’s biggest project.

Senior sources, inside the project consortium and State Government, last night confirmed the $1.85 billion building project was at “crisis point”.

An investigation by The Advertiser can reveal relationship breakdowns between the state government, the project consortium SA Health Partnership and the joint venture contractor Hansen Yuncken Leighton Contractors are at the centre of the crisis.

In response to a number of questions put by The Advertiser yesterday, SA Health Partnership denied there would be any delay in the completion date.

“We are in the third year of a five-year construction process,” their statement reads.

“The completion date of 2016 remains unchanged and we are focused on achieving this target.”

[Paulns]

You know their getting on with it when they start taking the cranes down.

[phenom]

You really grasp the magnitude of this building when you look north down West Terrace and the horizon in front of you is nothing but hospital looming ahead.

[PeFe]

A (Sydney) doctor told me, that when completed, the new RAH will be the largest public hospital in the country. One thousand beds was the figure he quoted to me. I presume that may mean the closure of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woodville....

[skyliner]

A (Sydney) doctor told me, that when completed, the new RAH will be the largest public hospital in the country. One thousand beds was the figure he quoted to me. I presume that may mean the closure of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woodville....

But do we want to shut our other hospitals to do it? WE need these in the suburban areas as well - maybe with re specified functions to complement the RAH.

ADELAIDE _ TOWARDS A GREATER CITY SKYLINE

[ghs]

From memory I think it's more like 700-800 beds.

I don't think that would make it the biggest in Australia.

[Amused]

The definition of a 'bed' for the sake of numbers are a moving target. It depends if acute medical units or day stay beds have been included in the mix.
Anyway, I doubt they will close the QEH but I dare say facilities including research may be downsized and moved to the newer facilities on north Terrace. It's like the huff and puff about closing Modbury. It can't possibly happen without the whole system breaking. The last couple of months where all hospitals have been ramped (ie, wards that have room anywhere get filled with a bed to operate at 150% capacity) and EDs working at between 200-300% capacity). You can't close hospitals without the lineups passing parliament house nor people dying on the steps there in said line.