Treatment plant roof repair cost blows out by 70%
A 70% increase in the cost of a roof reconstruction at the Warwick Water Treatment Plant will see Southern Downs Regional Council take money out of operational funds.
$70,000 will be transferred from water maintenance funding to cover the cost of reconstructing the roof on the plant's reservoir - which was originally budgeted to cost just $100,000.
Director of Engineering Services Peter See told a meeting of the council on Wednesday that staff had to look carefully at where the money was coming from.
"Due to unforeseen issues, the support structure also requires replacement," he wrote in a report.
The bad news prompted councillors to raise a number of concerns, with Deputy Mayor Cr Ross Bartley citing the possibility of future need for expensive maintenance to underground water supply.
"Is that the right place for the money to come from?" he said.
"I have grave concerns - we should look into another area to get that $70,000 from."
Despite their concerns, councillors voted unanimously in favour of the plan.
