Mount Hot Pools horrific cost overruns: Appalling news, in fact it is outrageous!
So, now we know the projected cost of the remedial work was only a guesstimate. For heaven's sake, it ranged from $1 million to $1.5 million. Effectively nothing happened for the first month the pools were closed. I know this as I witnessed it along with the continuing saga on a regular basis and I am not the only one that saw what was happening. All asked what on earth was going on at the Mount Hot Pools site.
By the sounds of it, there was no firm contract as to price in place and clearly the work was done on a cost plus basis which is the worst form of contract for construction type work that an owner (in this case TCAL/TCC) could possibly have. TCC must let the public see the contract invoices, plans, specifications, etc. in their full and final form.
My question is what was the top figure of $1.5 million allocated for exactly because from what little has been done that would seem to be way over the top, let alone $2.3 million – a cost overrun of up to $1.3 million. No urgency for repair work and no urgency in the speed but plenty of energy expended on the invoicing, it seems.
TCC ratepayers should be incensed and gutted with TCVL and their elected TCC Councillors for allowing this to happen.
There needs to be an immediate inquiry and all prices and costs checked out by a reputable independent quantity surveyor as has already suggested by some people. Personally for starters, I seek the resignations of all involved in this disgraceful state of affairs. What has happened is wrong.
The worst feature is that really no normal repairs and maintenance work has been carried out yet, so this cost is still to come. This financial mess has nothing to do with not attending to repairs and maintenance in the general sense over the last decade.

R Paterson, Matapihi.