By KEVIN TAYLOR
HAMILTON - An independent review of the troubled Hamilton twin-stadium project has criticised the project, but the Waikato Stadium Trust is still confident it will go ahead.
Quantity surveyor Tony Gemmell recommended in the review that the two big backers not release any money for the project in its present form.
He criticised the lack of detailed documentation on the project, which may cost up to $30 million, and advised the Hamilton City Council and WEL Energy Trust not to release money yet.
The council and trust are holding back on freeing up $9 million and $6 million respectively until they are satisfied about the project's viability.
The construction start-date has now been put back to the middle of November as the stadium trust awaits final costings.
Stadium trust chairman David Braithwaite disagreed that the report was damning for the stadium.
He said the council and WEL Energy Trust had agreed to allow the stadium trust more time to get pricing information together.
Mr Gemmell recommended a full design brief be prepared, and tenders be selected from the open market.
Work could start on January 5.
However, Mr Braithwaite said funding approval was urgent and work needed to start as soon as possible so the new rugby ground was ready for the 2001 NPC rugby competition.
He said as far as he was concerned the project - which includes rebuilding Rugby Park and revamping the WestpacTrust cricket ground - was still on target to start in the middle of next month.
Mr Gemmell said it appeared there would be cost over-runs, based on the stadium budget.
The stadium trust estimated that revamping the rugby park grandstand would cost $1.2 million, but Mr Gemmell said it would cost $2.5 million to $3 million.
Mr Braithwaite disputed the claim, saying it was a matter of opinion.
The Hamilton mayor and chairman of the WEL Energy Trust, Russ Rimmington, said the report was not an impediment to the project proceeding.
"I think the problems he's identified in it can all be addressed."
But the council stadium working party member, Dave Macpherson, said councillors were increasingly taking a dim view of the stadium.
"There's no way that we should do anything until the whole thing is signed off.
"There's a growing feeling that they [stadium trust] are just going to have to wait.
"We voted for $9 million in May for the stadium. If they can't get their act together in six months, maybe they never will."
Mr Braithwaite said Mr Gemmell was wanting to reduce any financial risk to zero.
However, the stadium trust had limited seeding funding to pay for more design work and consultants. It had already spent about $350,000, mostly funded by Trust Waikato, a community funding organisation.
Stadium trust still confident
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