Report says town hall project was 'beset with some significant issues'

An audit report into the $167 million town hall restoration has found the project was "beset with some significant issues".

 

The new Audit New Zealand report recommends Christchurch City Council get an external, independent expert to review the management of the town hall project, which was originally budgeted to cost about $127 million.  

 

It also notes the town hall project was completed about a year later than expected 

 

The report will now go to the council’s audit and risk management committee next week.

 

“Understanding what issues may have arisen and why is now unlikely to benefit the town hall project. However, this understanding could be of considerable benefit to future projects," the report said.

 

City council general manager, finance and commercial Carol Bellette said the council will learn from the town hall project.

 

"We have learnt a number of lessons from our management of the town hall project and we agree with Audit New Zealand that these should be documented in a lessons learnt report,'' she said. 

 

“We are already in the process of appointing an external independent party to facilitate the lessons learnt process. This is something we have done at the end of a number of our key projects.

 

“We will bring the close-out report, along with the external report on the lessons learnt, to the financial and performance committee next year."