AUSTRALASIA – Infrastructure New South Wales (INSW) has terminated negotiations with the preferred consortia formed to design, build and operate the interim exhibition centre at Glebe Island Expo in Sydney.
Infrastructure NSW Project Director Tim Parker confirmed that a decision had been made to end discussions with Pages Hire and Echo Entertainment Group, which had been the preferred bidder for the provision and operation of the facilities. Despite lengthy negotiations, Infrastructure NSW said it had been unable to conclude satisfactory arrangements with the consortium, Sydney Harbour Expo@Glebe Island, but did not cite the reasons for the move.
Infrastructure NSW has begun discussions with international events company, GL Events, to provide the structure. GL Events provided similar facilities for the London Olympics.
In parallel, Infrastructure NSW is talking to international operator AEG Ogden about operating the temporary facilities. AEG Ogden was successful in the recent procurement for the core facilities at Darling Harbour, which are being delivered in partnership with the Government through the Darling Harbour Live consortium.
The CEO of the Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA), Joyce DiMascio, said the association was alarmed by the news of the change. In the past four working days, the association has met with INSW three times and received assurances that the facility can be built in time for the opening to the 2014 events calendar.
Parker moved to respond to the concerns, saying: “I can assure the exhibition industry that the Government will ensure these temporary facilities are in place for the 2014 exhibition season”.
The Deputy Premier, Andrew Stoner, also contacted the association to reassure the industry that the Government was confident it would deliver the interimfacility. In a statement, INSW said the Government would “ensure facilities are in place for the 2014 exhibition season. Nothing has changed in terms of this commitment”.
While this assurance is welcomed, added DiMascio, the association is most concerned that six months has been lost in what was an already “very tight construction schedule”.
The EEAA met on Monday with INSW, GL Events, AEG Ogden and APP for an update on the project and to give the industry the opportunity to comment on the scenarios currently being proposed by INSW in order to meet the January 2014 opening deadline.
Construction of the new convention, exhibition and entertainment facilities at Darling Harbour are supposed to begin at the end of this year and the facilities will open in December 2016, enabling Sydney to grow the lucrative visitor economy market.
Planning approval for the temporary facilities was received this month, with early site works due to start at Glebe Island in June. Government has committed to providing an interim facility at Glebe Island to cater for large events during the three-year construction period.
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