The Fyles Government has once again put a design and construction tender out for the Mandorah jetty with Infrastructure Minister Eva Lawler saying it remained on track to open by the end of 2024, despite the government having originally said it would be open in May this year and failing to get anyone to build it from an earlier tender.
The new tender was officially released Tuesday, while Ms Lawler said in a statement Monday the previous tender, which closed in mid-2022, did not result in the successful selection of a contractor.
“This can be attributed to cost challenges as a result of uncertain market conditions,” she said.
“The timing for this new tender is anticipated to result in attracting additional prospective tenderers, resulting in a more competitive tender process.
“While the project has realised some delays including challenging construction market conditions and effects of inflation on materials and supply chains, the Territory Government remains committed to delivering this important and significant project.”
Wagait Beach resident Phil Adams said residents on that part of the Cox Peninsula were not impressed with yet another delay.
“There is absolutely no sign of work starting on this,” he said. “I think we are already about two years behind on when construction should have started.
“What [Member for Daly] Dheran Young said to me was they released the tender the same time of the Ship Lift tender.
“It is going to blow it out about another six months before they get another tenderer. The best time for dredging is the wet season, so they won’t be able to do any dredging until next wet season.”
The Mandorah jetty project plagued by repeated delays
A government press release from February 2019 said the estimated $50 million project was a “priority project to be fast–tracked for construction”, with the original design tender to be released in February 2019, and to be awarded in April 2019, with a construction tender to be released in May 2020, and the jetty finished in May 2022.
At the time, the ABC reported the upgrades for the jetty had been promised in 2014, and again in 2017, and the preferred of four options, was to build new facilities close to the existing jetty, including a new pontoon, gangway, and rock groyne at a cost of $24 million.
It reported the jetty was built in the late 1960s and was badly damaged by Cyclone Tracy in 1974.
A $1.1m design contract was awarded to local company Cardno NT in June 2019, but the project stopped when the Amateur Fishermen’s Association of the NT and disability advocates objected to features of the design, according to an NT News report.
In July 2020, a government press release said COVID–19 had “put several restrictions on how this industry collaboration will occur to optimise the design”.
“Due to this, the earlier announced project timeframes will not be met. It is expected that the design will continue through 2020–21. The timeframes for the next stages of the project will be determined upon finalisation of design.”
Then in November 2020, “final” plans for the rebuild were released with Ms Lawler saying in a statement a construction tender to commence works was set to be released by mid-2021, with the NT News reporting Ms Lawler stating the project would be complete by the end of 2022.
In December 2021, a government press release stated that a design and construct tender was issued on December 15, with the tender awarded and site works anticipated to start in the first half of 2022.
Stage one of the project was to consist of two breakwaters to protect against sea swells, a new gangway, floating pontoon and improved disability access, a weather resistant dual berthing facility, and upgraded carparking.
Ms Lawler said she anticipated the jetty would now open by the end of 2024.
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