Northland College principal Jim Luders in front of the school
Northland College principal Jim Luders in front of the school
Henwood Builders had sufficient ability and expertise to competitively be selected to build the new museum at Waitangi, and my own firm has recently awarded a substantial contract to them. Their work to date on that has been of a high standard, on time and on budget.
While it isunderstood that there must be a competitive tender process for a project of the size of the Northland College upgrade, it is reprehensible that a local firm of sufficient competency should not be seriously considered. It is one thing to lose out as part of a fair and open process, but to be ignored, and have correspondence on the matter completely unanswered, smacks of a hidden agenda. That Government officials hide behind a smokescreen of political double-speak only adds to the suspicion.
That Northland unquestionably needs the economic and employment boost of this level of capital growth only adds to the argument. Is it not a Northland philosophy to buy local where availability and competency exists?
