Video: Burt On $6 Million Wharf Cost Increase
The One Bermuda Alliance has “talked a lot about the management of capital projects” and “their first capital project had a significant cost overrun,” Shadow Minister of Finance David Burt said.
The costs of the Heritage Wharf improvements were discussed in Parliament on Friday [Dec 12], with Minister of Public Works Patricia Gordon-Pamplin saying they are now estimated to be 24% higher than the initial price, increasing by some $6 million.
The Minister said the “target price set” was around $22.4 million and the increase is estimated at 24%, having spiked to an estimated $28.8 million, with the current expenditure to date $27,369,314.47.
Audio excerpt from Parliament.bm of Minister Gordon-Pamplin detailing the cost of the wharf:
Back in February 2013, the Government said: “A contract valued at BDA$22,369,961.93 has been awarded to SunRise Construction Limited who are partnered under the contract with Crisson Construction Limited and Onsite Engineering.
Last year Government said the work was as the “increased length of the Norwegian Breakaway means that an addition mooring location will be required to the north of Heritage Wharf, extending the catwalk by eighty feet.
“In addition to this our structural investigations and analysis have revealed that the new Wharf is not strong enough to take the required ship design loadings in berthing maneuvers or in mooring scenarios to required design wind strengths for both the ships currently using the docks and those proposed for the future.”
Audio excerpt of Minister Gordon-Pamplin being questioned by Opposition MPs about the cost:
Speaking on Friday, Mr Burt said, “What we heard today was the first capital project run by the One Bermuda Alliance government is 25% over budget to date.
“The final estimated cost is going to come over $6 million higher than what they had anticipated at the beginning of the project.
“I think what we see here is again there is a challenge when it comes to the management of capital projects. We see here the One Bermuda Alliance has talked a lot about the management of capital projects, but we’ve seen that they have in their first capital project had a significant cost overrun.
The Minister on some the equipment/operator costs, which ranged up to over $200 an hour
Mr Burt continued, “There will come a point in time where we will examine what are the reasons for this overrun, but at the end of the day, we see the Government spending 6 million more dollars than what they have right now.
“So without question this presents a challenge, without question some of our members raised things in which the Government may have considered insofar as saving money. There were lots of issues about people operating cranes, being paid a $109 an hour; things that seemed very high rates that should be paid off for this type of work.
“So we are going to continue to look into that because the most important thing is that the Bermudian people get value for money. This case we’ve seen a cost overrun which is not something that I would think that anyone in Bermuda is proud of.”
Mr Burt speaking on Friday:
Mr Burt added, “When the Norwegian Breakaway first came here, it was actually tied to the existing Heritage Wharf because the renovation projects were not completed in time.
“That much being said, the renovation works which were supposed to cost $22 million, ended up costing us $28 million, and that’s something that should concern everyone.”
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There would no absolutely no need to spend this money if the job was done right the first time. This is FIXING all the mistakes made by the PLP’s chosen contractor.
I do agree we need detailed explanations of why this cost so much and is over budget….but we also need to go back and figure out why it was so badly done the first time.
All your supporters will be all over this…but they are silent on articles about Port Royal or any article detailing the failed capital projects under the previous government. Just look at Grand Atlantic. A monument to incompetence.
Yes the 28million total was because it wasn’t done properly the first time.
So lets add this 28m (less 6m if you want to be kind and attribute this to the OBA) to the overun on the job from the PLP:
Project under PLP:35m , cost 68m, overrun 33m +28m – 6m (28m repair/do properly less 6m) = PLP cost us 55m
Burt explain the 55m before you go mouthing off about 6m please
Come on !
Well said MP Burt, brilliant summary. Great job of the Opposition, keeping the OBAubp on their feet.
For the OBAubp to brag about their ability not to have overruns on Capital projects…this is a clear indication that they can not point fingers at the PLP only. THis project has OVERRUNS, and suggest management of the project was not well done.
The reality is Capital projects are not very well run by Governments, in most countries. Here is evident of this, and Burt is correct in pointing this fact out.
OBAubp ran off the record that they will have NO NO projects overruns like the PLP….really……what do we have today? OVERRUNS…
Where did the OBA brag about having NO overruns on Capital projects?
….please point us to a link,Bettty Trump
Being that you replied to my post identifying an effective $55m PLP overrun, why haven’t you commented on it in your reply?
This is not an overrun like the PLP.
PLP overruns are much bigger!
What a joke, OBAubp in denial really, get over your long nose.
Whhhaaaaammmmbbuuullannce alert.
He’s not keeping them on their feet.
They admitted it first .
He’s just now making a lot of hot air out of it .
In their role as opposition no-one in the PLP is in any position to talk about cost over-runs to anyone.
“I think what we see here is again there is a challenge when it comes to the management of capital projects. We see here the One Bermuda Alliance has talked a lot about the management of capital projects, but we’ve seen that they have in their first capital project had a significant cost overrun.”
For their first capital project the numbers are far better than the “experienced” PLP’s attempt at Port Royal.
Not even sure I’d label this as an OBA capital project. If anything it’s a repair to a (poorly constructed) PLP capital project. If the job had been done correctly in the first place there would have been no need for anyone to repair the pier.
BTW, we still haven’t seen the promised report on the original construction job. Reality is, whoever is at fault there should be contributing to the cost of the repairs.
Trump is back. Bah hum bug
Yes, The OBA did brag and sing the song and used it as a political football, as they did with Gang Violence. I told them that not the path to go, as Capital Projects are not very run by Governments. IT was not a wise step. Now we see the OBAubp having OVERRUNS on a Capital Project.
This is keep the government Honest and Real !
Its best not to point fingers, as they might come back and point at you !!
save us Betty! thank goodness you are there to advise the OBA like you did the PLP. really. I wonder what out island woul dbe liek without you? I tell you straight – it would be a ghost town. Parrot fish would have risen up and taken over the Island, using capital overuns to fund a mafia of tree frogs who suppressed our people. I fea this may happen under the devil worshipping, deviant and slanderous OBA whose only interst is to give money to foreighners so we all go bust
Very disappointing that in other media that his story was buried. Wonder where it would have been if it was the PLP?
Who remembers the thruster wall that cost us over $4 million that did not even last two years?
We paid all of that money and then the PLP Minister for Works said “we don’t need it!”
Oh yes, the “thruster wall” that Correia Construction made X amount of millions of dollars for doing
That too was part of the friends and family plan.
Yes, but the OBAubp promised us NO NO OVERRUNS….what do we have here today…….really stop with it….does make sense pointing fingers, when it looking you right back in the face…
Anyone that know anything about construction will tell you that you can expect a minimum 10% addition in change orders. Contractors throw in low bid numbers to win the job and then the change orders start flying in. I have personally seen it done HUNDREDS of times. This is not surprising or unacceptable, however this does need to be looked at in depth since some contractors are like this and can squeeze additional costs that are not warranted.
This is the same thing the PLP said over and over again. I have mention it numerous times, that Capital Projects will go over the budget for unexpected reasons. Often the reasons are valids, more so Governments are seldom great with the management of Capital Projects. Thus this pointing fingers must stop, and it has to seen for what it really it.
No they didn’t.
Stop lying.
Where and when did the OBA promise no overruns? I’d like to see that.
And the only reason that the OBA had to do this work at all was because the original construction was incredibly shoddy.
nope
When will the PLP rememebr?
PLP think Bermudians are dumb and can’t see through this. whole Video is an insult to Bermudians. Burt should be ashamed.
how come everything has to be about oba vs plp why don’t we just say whole wheat vs regular bread
they are both bad for you ! maybe try tortillas?
One thing about repair projects is that you often find things are worse than you thought. I hope David Burt will offer an apology to the OBA if it comes out that the over budget is a result of an even bigger PLP mess than was originally budgeted for.
Burt also knows that many PLP projects were over budget because of political meddling while this one seems to be run by the Civil Service and contractor, making Burt’s attack actually an attack on the Civil Service, not the OBA.
It would be amusing if it weren’t so ridiculous.
This, coming from the people who saw the original wharf contract go over by $25m, and didn’t do the job properly.
And the Port Royal contract go over by 500%.
And the swimming pool contract go over by 60% and come in years late.
4 million = 24 million
22 million = 28 million
Cut your own grass. Until then, sit down Mr. Burt.
While the overun is an issue and some questions should be asked. Compare and contrast the size of the overun of the docks to Port Royal, which constitutes fiscal mismanagemnt.
It is better to be silent & be thought of as a fool than to open your mouth & remove any doubt.
When it comes to any projects from the PLP experiment era Burt & Co. would do better if they remained silent & let the OBA, which is not perfect despite PLP expectations, get on with the job.
Exactly, let the OBA do the job, maybe in 3 years time when the budget is balanced and the hotels are up and running along with the jobs, the people will vote the PLP back in so they can start afresh and take care of their bidness.
A great Opposition holding the government accountable and transparent, something the OBAubp never did..Well done MP Burt… its killing the cheerleaders of the OBAubp..really
???
I ALSO believe that all governments finances should be public; and have been ashamed at previous (and just recent findings).
But it takes b@lls to blame some-one for overspending to fix a problem you created (who ALSO had overspending).
I HOPE the PLP are not for a moment think people are THAT STUPID????
But than here comes BT….
SMDH
Care to comment on Port Royal????
Wait, so YOU’RE saying the OBA was poor because unlike the PLP who are a “GREAT opposition”; they failed to catch the PLP out on ALL their BS that you seem to be finally admitting took place?
Well, shame on you OBA.
Guess when someone steals from a store it’s the owners fault for not catching them doing it?
Typical…
No there, I am saying that PLP has called the OBA out on something they used pre-election to never do…Have OVERRUNS on a major Capital Project. They believed it was not possible for any government to have Overruns, overlooking the Facts world-wide that Governments seldom run Capital Projects effectively and Overrunns are common practice….Wake UP…dearest CHeerleader….try to see both sides of the issues….take off your political blinders…. for real…
PLP are the most amateur poor and disorganised party …ever.
really
It was somewhat difficult for the OBA to hold PLP accountable, because whenever anyone criticized the PLP, they were labelled as racist.
How’s that working for you now PLP?
How can you live with yourself Bettty Trump.
Something fundementally wrong.
Finally betty, we agree on something??? The opposition OBA did not hold your governing plp to account!!! And because of that, $800 million is unaccounted for??? But NOW the OBA is the Government and I do beleive they will NOW hold your party to account, ALL $800 million of it I hope, the first $20million of that massive amount is the Port Royal and much more to come my friend!!!!
Where you been Kangoocar…still got your political blinders on…cheering regardless of right or wrong…really…..
What did the OBAubp promise us pre-election? Guess you forgot
They pushed as part of their election slogan that they would never have OVERRUNS…what we see today? REally I said how sad,…as all govts have OVERRUNS, and all governments are not great with the management of Capital Projects….get reallly
No they didn’t. That is a lie
OBAubp denial is common thing, look at the likes….
yep deny deny deny. your right. PLP are the much better party. Thank goodness they will be in power at the next election. they will save us from the economic ruin the OBA broght down on us. PLP all the way, Bermuda in the bin.
wait a minute….my mind has been hijacked by BT but is fighting back!
Actually they did…time and time again. But they were laughed off and told they were asking “plantation” questions.
Yep. Or were told they were “making mischief”.
tea makes one forget!
This was the PLP’s Capital Project gone bad! We would not have been spending this money in the first place had the PLP government got it right.
value for money as he states Bermuda should get! is not something the plp ever gave Bermuda!!!!!fact plp devalued our product to the point that generations to come will be paying! and he raises his tone at six million ? I want to be able to trust him but how can you trust some one who has been close to the cookie jar and can not tell you ! why the jar is empty!!!!
Burt seems to be afflicted with a serious case of foot in the mouth disease as well as selective amnesia.
In order to cure them, he must do his homework and consume copious slices of humble pie.
Suddenly the foot will emerge from his mouth and find it’s rightful place at the other end of his body.
Burt is brilliant in holding the govt accountable, as the Opposition should and must do…..there is more to come, as the Government will be putting forward major projects, who knows they may also increase our debt levels, and you will be so blind, that you will not see it, just because it is the OBAubp…..really wake up
Brilliant??? No honey; Einstein was brilliant. Calling out others for fixing your screw-ups, has another name.
Only brilliancy you see is the way he has fooled the sheep in supporting this BS.
The Dock is fixed, move the hell on. I for one can not believe Mr. Burt is trying to use this to score political points.
SMH
yes you are right Betty. Really. all the secret secrets of the OBA secret party are going to be exposed and the honest outstanding and fanatastic party (PLP) will swoop back into power and save us from all the secrets. Really
Or…none of this us true. Really
Really?
Really.
For a moment I thought you were going to say his foot was going to end up somewhere else?????
Mr Burt good try but I think it is altogether different when you are explaining an overun for specific reasons, rather than it being an unexpected massive overrun with no accounting of which there are numerous examples under the PLP.
And very soon this OBA government will be on a money spending frenzy trying to impress the AC segment which will be impossible . Bermuda is no San Francisco . Spending will dwarf Port Royal and the return will be pennies on the dollar . This is the first of many cost overruns to occur , but believe you me instead of owning up to their failures they will attempt to compare it to the PLP .
Why wouldn’t it be compared to the PLP? Isn’t that what the electorate is supposed to do? Compare what happens under one leadership with what happens under another? Or doesn’t the PLP want to stand on its record?
The PLP are doing everything to hide their record. Coffee is part of the PLP.
Well said Coffee, I see huge overruns in the making under the OBAubp govt as well…soon come…soon come….
Few if any governments are great with management of Capital Projects….but let them point fingers now…..and hopefully it will soon be pointing right back at them…with the number of projects the OBAubp are doing……lets wait its coming soon…bigger debt
Why do you seem excited about the possibility?
Exactly CC, there are people among us who would prefer to see Bermuda sink, than be successful under the OBA Government.
What they fail to understand is we are ALL in this together, and presently it’s the current governments job to get us out of this mess. We ALL need to support them NO matter what Party we may back.
My word for them are traitors.
So you are hoping the OBA fail and things get worse for Bermuda?
Coffee: I have yet to hear the PLP own up to any of their self serving failures – of which there are many.
OBA will be judged on their performance yes – just like the PLP.
At least the OBA has not yet raped us financially.
I have yet to hear the OBAubp own up to their mistakes over the past 2 years…Jetgate, Nandigate…etc….. come on….
As I recall Bettttty, at least two people resigned over Jetgate. When did any of the people in PLP resign over the crap they did? Get over yourself you effing fool.
This is funny. You seem to think that adding “Gate” to the end of something it makes it worse.
BerkleyGATE? TCDGATE? Grand AtlaticGATE? Port RoyalGATE? Luois Brown EVeans Court BuildingGATE? Heritage WharfGATE?
yes you are right again!
not one apology. not once from Craig in his resignation apology you video. not once did he say he made a mistake. really. not once. really
Oh wait…maybe I should check that video….
Oh… Wait until Larry Burchall starts figuring , from the books of the gov. auditor of course ,what the real upfront cost to government to host the AC , not to mention the private chaser money . Yes , spending borrowed money to chase maybe money . At least you anticipate being raped financially by the OBA ! Are you looking forward to it ?
This isn’t “chasing maybe money”. That was the PLP. This is certain money. The economy will grow, there will be jobs.
If the plp were still in power they’d still be wailing ” but dere’s a worldwide recession”. Their excuse for failure.
Cost overruns are pretty normal. By passing of all ethical standards of care and duty to the people of Bermuda is the issue at Port Royal.
…and the cruise ship dock
…and TCD
…and Berkley
etc.
you know, even if you end up being right, there is a huge difference between throwing money after something, and throwing it after nothing.
Just a thought.
What makes you believe some of the money that the OBA are throwing out there is not after nothing? Please do not tell me your blindfaithfulness to the OBA only.
why cant we just deal with the facts if the Government and I mean the civil servants as well allowed this over run then who is doing the checks after all this is what the OBA said they will hold people accountable so why the overspending. There is a lot of talk about how PLP did just that so please OBA why you doing the same.
Because the OBA isn’t doing the same thing at all.
The PLP presided over massive political interference and handed out contracts often against the advice of technical Civil Servants. The OBA is doing none of this.
Blindness is killing you Onion….please wake up before it is too late, stop defending the OBA so blindly….without question….
AS Coffee puts it so brilliantly
“And very soon this OBA government will be on a money spending frenzy trying to impress the AC segment which will be impossible . Bermuda is no San Francisco . Spending will dwarf Port Royal and the return will be pennies on the dollar . This is the first of many cost overruns to occur , but believe you me instead of owning up to their failures they will attempt to compare it to the PLP .”
Be careful now…..fingers might point right back at you sooner rather than later……
yes quite right. be VERY careful.
fingers may be pointing at you. really
This could be very bad. glass houses, cry wolf, [insert other generic warning here].
really
At least the OBA are announcing there over runs, know what i mean Mr Burt.
You guys done such a bad job, anything you say will not be taking serious.
Tim e to rebrand as the ubp done.
Just saying.
The PLP has also indicated their overruns,as the project was taking place, something you failed to listen to or read up on. The reality is this was a OBA govt whom promised us NO NO OVERRUNs, and what do we see today. The OBAubp realise now that no Capital Project can be done without overruns. IF you go back and read the record, UBPoba had more overruns than the PLP govt did…guess this is a little fact you and the other cheerleaders love to overlook and put on your blindfaithfulness too.
Ok dont shout i bruise easy!
That is simply a lie.
Berkley saw Alex Scott accuse the then UBP of being “mischievous” when they claimed the project was way over budget.
That word became the standard answer for all the subsequent capital projects questions.
You seem to forget these things.
Every project the oba do will come in over .
But that’s ok
Nothing new here
You know, I could go on about ‘well the PLP did worse’ because we all know they did, but I’m going to take this as it is right now.
There’s a cost overrun.
Truthfully, most projects are going to have a cost overrun, they shouldn’t but experience suggests they will. The question is, when does it become too much? In other words, is what caused the overruns legitimate?
The PLP says they’re going to look in to things. Good. Look into why there was an overrun, just do it properly and it’s all good. The OBA shouldn’t mind, and the PLP is being a good Opposition.
Mr. Burt, you were always a pretty smart guy but hanging around with the current PLP crew has dumbed you down quite a bit and you really are embarrassing yourself quite often these days.
1. This was a PLP project that needed 22M to repair within 1 years
2. The inception of the work began in late 2011
3. RFP issued June 2012
4. Cabinet approval Sept 2012
5. Awarded in October
6. OBA wins election Dec 2012
You know these facts Mr. Burt…up your game so that you can still be taken seriously.
And in the news:
Local importers are being urged to stop bringing in straws due to the fact that the PLP keeps grasping at them.
Under the direction of Doc Hollywood, Bermuda was sent on a spiral of destruction. You are obviously too stupid to see that Betty.
Like I said before, OBA/UBP, PLP are all amateur politicians. Dont matter whose party is in control, the people will always suffer in the end because the country’s debt doesn’t change like the parties do. Its not a black debt or white debt, its the peoples debt.
I never thought that David Burt was the sharpest tool in the box; but all he seems to be doing here is drawing the attention to the fact that the original job under the PLP was hugely over budget, and then was done so badly, that over $20 million was then needed to re-do the project.
His party must wish that he had kept his mouth closed over this.
Why did the PLP not have this work done before the election as they knew about it for 2 years? This work was done at the last minute because the PLP did not do it so as not to loss more votes. Politics
When will the police investigate the Port Royal Project?
As soon as they investigate JETGATE…NANDIGATE…CANNINONERGATE etc….so many other gates over this past 2 years….
None of the ‘GATES’ that you mentioned cost one dime of public money!!
The mere fact that they have to be investigated PPAMPLIN will be at the expense of who? The taxpayers…get over yourself and stand up on integrity. After all you almost got away with Trupgate…taxpayers monies on govt workers fixing the roof…after been called out…you paid the piper….
Just be fair in your pointing fingers out in one direction only….it often comes back to you in the mirror…
yes yes really really. be careful again. your right in continually warning everyone to be careful. Really chek yoursefl before you wreck yourself everyone.
the PLP were very careful thank goodness they were as if they werent who knows what mess Bermuda may have been in.
WAIT A MINUTE
I, along with countless others want to thank you Minister…
How about gangateagate? Swizzlegate? Swearing at womengate? Lotteryticketgate?
See, this is where party politics gets in the way of the actual business at hand since there should be outrage over an overrun of this magnitude, period. No matter which party is responsible & a mature look into this shouldn’t be “Oh, well at least my party isn’t as bad as your party” childish rants.
Point is this is public money no matter who it is that is mismanaging it.
M.P. Burt appears to “conveniently” for get the cost overruns STARTED because the brand new Heritage Wharf, which was started under the PLP was deemed inadequate because as Minister Pamplin pointed out, the project was STARTED IN THE SUMMER OF 2012!!
Mid June of 2012 –R.F.P. (Request For Proposal) by the former Government was issued.
September 28th,2012 — The PLP Cabinet approved the project.
The first week of October, 2012. — Work was commenced by six local general contractors, the preferred contractor and their team was Sun-Rise Construction Limited, partnered with Crisson Construction and Onsite Engineering.
December 18th 2012 — The One Bermuda Alliance wins the General Election.
No wonder Derrick Burgess knew precisely how much the overseas equipment cost to be shipped here as demonstrated in the second clip at 5:29s of the recording as the technical officer had not provided her with that answer($480,000.00)!
The PLP knew precisely who, what, when, where, and how these costs would be BECAUSE THEY HIRED THE OVERSEAS FIRM AND THE THREE MAJOR CONTRACTORS!!!…REALLY!!!
….ME THINGS THOU PROTESTS TOO MUCH!!!
N.B. Also note fellow Bermudians that we got these answers of a cost overrun less than a year after the project was finished by the Minister in charge, not from a special Auditor General’s Report.
It was the OBAubp who PROTECT TOO MUCH….after all they told the public pre-election they will not have NO NO OVERRUNS….now they have fallen down on it…the PLP never promised such a thing…so you have failed in your little written up dearest OBA cheerleader….
OVERRUNS, which the OBAubp promised they will not have…..that is the real matter here…..
ME THINGS THOU PROTESTS TOO MUCH!!! after all who sang the loudest…..OVERRUNS, which the OBAubp promised they will not have…..that is the real matter here…..
yes that is the real and only matter here. really. you must see it eveyone. really its so obvious. the OBA have failed and need to go right now. we need to cancel the Americas cup, the hotels, the gaming and everything else. really. they are failing us and teh people. especially the really real people – not you non really real people who blog.
really
The important thing to note in MP Burt’s criticism is that the procurement process commenced under the PLP administration. The $22M cost was THEIR ESTIMATE which we inherited.
The contract was awarded in October 2012, after the Cabinet approved it on September 28, 2012.
The ESTIMATE was too low because it excluded the cost of the risks inherent in such a project. The project under the OBA administration was a realistic management exercise, which would have undoubtedly come in at a proper price had the original estimate been fair and accurate.
MP David Burt knows it, but he has to grandstand and pontificate to take attention away from Port Royal ($4M to $22M) or some other ridiculous amount of over run, or the poorly constructed wharf (which was not managed by W&E, but rather Tourism & Transport)
Also, MP Burgess stated that the whole project should have been no more than $8-10M. If that is the case, why did they budget $22M.
What was going to be done with the rest of the money??
I certainly do not mind criticism, but a little honesty goes a long way.
Yes, inquisitive minds would love to know?
Betty, Why are you so concerned about JETGATE, NANDIGATE and CANNONNERGATE when these do not compare with BHC, BLDC, Berkeley, Lois Browne-Evans Building, TCD, Port Royal,
Heritage Wharf, Faith Based Tourism and others. At least Jetgate did not involve the misuse of taxpayer’s money and did not add to the Country’s debt. The Bible says that you should cast out the beam in your own eye before worrying about the moat in your neighbour’s eye.
A govt who promised us TRANSPARENCY, HONESTY AND ACCOUNTABILITY has fallen down big time, that is why these various GATES do matter….they have fallen down on their swords big time…..even Tarpgate….yes they caused the Taxpayers monies, but you would love to put a blind eye to that…
really well said. really.
tarpgate was worldwide news worthy – really. Im amazed our caricom brothers and sisters didnt pick up on this.
really this needs to be spread around the world.
forget the Ukraine crisis – I give you TARPGATE
TARPGATE…..LOL
DesperateGATE
@ CommonSensenBda
well said m8