City of Launceston council to discuss Albert Hall budget in confidence

Councillors previously heard on May 4 that construction company Shape Australia would provide a "refined" price by the end of the month.

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Agenda papers for the upcoming June 29 council meeting show that this revised price has been received, however it will not be made public yet.

Responding to a question on notice by resident Jim Dickenson, council officers said the pricing was "commercially sensitive" and required discussion in a closed session.

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The officers also said an update would be provided "in due course", and that no monies have been paid to the construction company beyond consulting fees.

Progress on the $11 million Albert Hall Renewal Project has been slow, with a May 2023 report attributing much of the difficulty to the COVID-19 pandemic which has driven up costs and driven down labour supply.

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The report also found costs could increase between $4.3 million and $6.4 million and at the time suggested a funding allocation could be included in the upcoming council budget.

Budget papers for the 2023/2024 financial year, which will also be ratified at the meeting, do not include a specific line item for the Albert Hall Renewal Project.

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The Albert Hall Renewal Project was funded as part of the Launceston City Deal and also received money through the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.

The council expects work to be complete by July 2024, but this date is likely to be pushed back "by a few months" according to the May 2023 report.

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