November 9, 2020
South Burnett Regional Council has launched a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the company which built the Gordonbrook Water Treatment Plant.
The claim, against Ipswich-based company Aquatec Maxcon, was lodged in the Brisbane Supreme Court on October 21.
McCullough Robertson Lawyers are representing the SBRC in the action.
Aquatec Maxcon has not yet filed a defence to the claim and no date has been set for an initial hearing.
The statement of claim alleges the Gordonbrook plant needs millions of dollars in rectification works to fix multiple issues, including alleged corrosion and failing water pumps.
The $9.68 million plant – which supplies water to Kingaroy – was officially opened by then-South Burnett Mayor Keith Campbell in October 2016.
Aquatec Maxcon’s quote to build the plant was $7.5 million plus GST (ie. $8.25 million) and the balance of costs came from roadworks at the site, and design services provided by Hunter H2O.
The SBRC spent $5 million of its own funds – set aside for the purpose – while the State Government contributed $680,000 through a grant.
The remaining $4 million was borrowed by Council from the Queensland Treasury.
The aim of the new plant was to treat water for Kingaroy into the distant future.
The plant was designed to cope with a doubling of the town’s population.
The project won the Innovation category at the 2016 Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia, Queensland (IPWEAQ) Excellence Awards.
It was also a finalist at the same awards in the Water and Wastewater projects under $10 million category.
Aquatec Maxcon also built Kingaroy’s $25 million Wastewater Treatment Plant which began operation in 2016.
This project received an Excellence Award for projects over $10 million at the 2016 IPWEAQ awards.
South Burnett Mayor Brett Otto told southburnett.com.au on Monday he could not comment on the lawsuit as the matter was before the courts.
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