Media release
12 April 2016

135 Albert Street budget approved

The council today approved a budget and project to replace stonework cladding on the council’s building at 135 Albert Street. This budget will now be subject to a procurement process so the amount will remain confidential until all contracts have been awarded.

Other confidential aspects of the report included legally privileged information.

At the meeting, Auckland Council General Manager Corporate Finance and Property Kevin Ramsay outlined the options for fixing the cladding issue and the budget required.

“It’s now time for us to move on to the next stage of this project, continue to address safety requirements and plan for remediation work to get underway.

“We have identified the issue, agreed to a way forward and will be confirming the parties that will work on this with us.

“We have been asked about recouping costs as the project progresses – this is something we will continue to investigate,” he says.

The proposal to replace the stonework cladding is based on a solution that retains the look and feel of the building; offers a full long-term warranty; is fire resistant and meets current building standards; better resists water ingress; makes future maintenance much easier and is cost effective.

Due diligence when the council purchased the building in 2012, and further investigative work since, confirmed a significant issue with the 25 year old building’s stone cladding. Some funding was set aside at the time of purchase and the requirement for work on the exterior of the building was also factored into purchase price negotiations.

The council’s decision to purchase 135 Albert Street has brought staff working within the CBD together, allowed it to vacate leased premises and enabled development of a more efficient working space.

Points of clarification:
· Cost of hanging scaffold and working platform – this amounts to around half of the $4.7m brought forward at the 25 February Finance and Performance Committee meeting to begin safety mitigation works. The balance is going towards design, detailed analysis and costings for the substantive repairs.

ENDS

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