Shine a Light: ‘Pool Not a $2m Project’

NEWS

Shine a Light: ‘Pool Not a $2m Project’

Luxury Pools has a standard pool commercial build rate of $2500 per square metre. Given the desired sizes of the pool project - Olympic pool (50m by 25m); warm up pool (25m by 20m); and children’s pool (26m by 18m) - the retail price of the pools totaled $5,545,000. Shine a Light has sent a series of questions about the project to Mr Bala, Nadi-based AK Lawyers (Acting for Mr Balgovind, Contractor’s Metal Workers) and Lautoka City Council. None have been answered.

by ivamere nataro

07 Nov 2021 14:15

An aerial view of the unfinished construction of the Lautoka swimming pool at the Botanical Garden, Lautoka, taken on October 27, 2020.

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The Lautoka swimming pool was never a $2million project as announced by the then Minister for Local Government Parveen Bala in 2017, a contractor has said.

Luxury Pools Managing Director Max Farrell said the pool would always cost more than $2m and it was part of the contract.

This is the latest development of the controversy surrounding the incomplete Lautoka swimming pool located at the city’s botanical garden.

A Government-ordered “Peer Review” is about to be held to explore the saga.

It was earlier reported in local media that the $2 million estimation was done by Ashok Balgovind and Associates (ABAS) as the hired lead consultant…to read the full account from our Shine A Light Investigative Reporter and Editor Ivamere Nataro by subscribing to the Fiji Sun e-edition.

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