Procurement requirements contribute to delays in school trade centres

Australian State and Territory procurement requirements have contributed to construction delays in Trade Training Centres, with less than a third of the centres meeting construction timelines, a National Audit Report has revealed.

The delays in the new trade centres, which were approved by the federal government in the program’s first two funding rounds, have also been due to the lack of availability of tradespeople and building materials and weather conditions.

The National Audit Report has revealed that only 31 per cent of projects approved in the first two rounds of the program started construction on schedule, and only 27 per cent were completed on time.

The report also notes average time lags of 240 days between projects receiving in principle approval and contracts being finalised.

The audit office suggests the department consider ways to reduce the length of contract negotiations, for example by relaxing controls on small items.

It also said the department's oversight of compliance with funding agreements had been limited.

The report says there is a 'lack of transparency concerning the adequacy of progress' because none of the performance measures address the timeliness of the construction of facilities.

Before last year's election, the Coalition said it would scrap the program and instead build up to 30 technical colleges. Yesterday its education spokesman, Christopher Pyne, said the government was 'simply incapable of delivering anything on time, on budget, or as promised'.

'At this rate it will take 30 years to finish the program. Julia Gillard will be 80 by the time it ends,' Mr Pyne said.

As opposition leader in 2007, Kevin Rudd promised to build new trade centres in the nation's 2650 secondary schools at a cost of $2.5 billion over 10 years. But more than three years after Labor took office, progress on the centres - designed to help lift year 12 retention rates and address skill shortages - has been slow.

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