A total of $744,315 has been spent on Masterton’s civic centre project since July 2018, recently released figures show.
The project was put on hold in May last year, and newly-elected councillors unanimously decided in December to present options for public consultation on the project’s future.
The council agreed to identify and develop options for consultation with the community including: “proceeding/not proceeding with the civic facility as provided in the Long-Term Plan with estimated costs of $71.3m including contingency; options that better utilise council’s existing assets, including the library, Town Hall and recreation centre; an option to do nothing”.
In a cost breakdown released to Local Democracy Reporting, Masterton District Council figures showed the biggest spend was on external project management [$177,182], followed by payments to architects [$145,067], and internal project management [$136,438].
The council also confirmed $92,944 had been spent on legal advice, site testing, and valuations regarding property acquisition.
The remainder of costs were split between market demand assessments [$59,000], engineering assessments [$41,510], quantity surveying [$25,767], asbestos testing [$12,900], procurement assistance [$24,000], and fundraising and project advice [$92,943].
Masterton District Council also spent just over $3000 on a tour of venues, covering bus and accommodation costs, and $12,356 on the Civic Facility Independent Working Group.
The project, spending-wise, has had two distinct phases, a council spokesperson said.
The first phase ran from November 2018 to June 2019, followed by a period of 14 months where no external costs were incurred.
The second phase ran from August 2020 to August 2022.
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