Building Education Revolution (BER)
There could be a hiccup with the Building Education Revolution (BER) across the land.
Word has it that the Commonwealth has just stopped the cash flow for the BER programme.
This will mean Schools under contracts to Consultants and/or Builders will need to take out bridging loans.
I know of 1 school that was struggling to obtain a bank loan prior to this latest action.
Their argument was always that the Commonwealth BER programme would fund the Bank loan.
Apart from Builders and their Subconsultants, the domino affect could clearly affect payments to:

Surveyors;
Architects;
Structural Engineers;
Hydraulic Engineers;
Electrical Engineers;
Mechanical Engineers;
Private Certifiers;
Energy Assessment Consultants;
Fire Consultants;
Landscape Consultants;

then roll onto:

SUPPLIERS:

Concrete;
Bricks & Blocks;
Membranes & Paints;
Timber & Steel Framing;
Wall & Roof lining;
Floor Coverings;
Doors & Windows;
School Equipment suppliers;
Electrical suppliers;
Fire Fighting suppliers;
Insulations suppliers;
Taps/Toots/Basins suppliers;
etc. etc. etc.

I expect some changes in the economic graphs for next month (September).

SCIENCE FACILITIES
The Commonwealth has now stopped funding to any further Science Buildings due to a large number of Schools applying for the grant.
At the start of the BER programme, there was a chance of applying for "ROUND 1".
If a school missed out, they could reapply for ROUND 2. Not any more.
That's it. Over. Finished.
The trouble is, many schools engaged Consultants to prepare Designs and documentation suitable for building these proposed Science Blocks.
There was a lot of positive energy back in March to mid July. Lot of frantic activity.
Now there are a lot of schools with debts.
Actually, I don't know the number. I am only extrapolating.

MULTI-PURPOSE-CENTRES & LIBRARIES
In QLD, the State Authority charged with Administering the Commonwealth money, the BGA, had none to give by 7 August this year.
This was money promised to schools to pay for P21 and/or National School Pride (NSP) projects.
I am informed that this money was under review and will be shortly released by the Commonwealth.
Basically, many projects have been under review.
One hopes that the BER programme has not suffered any rorting.
The point here is the impact on the all-important-cash-flow situation.
Since 7 August the cash flow has stopped.
A fragile economy, in my view, remains.

Architects risk bankruptcy for stimulus projects
http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au ... 0_2009.pdf

BY GEMMA BATTENBOUGH

Regional architects in NSW
are risking bankruptcy by
signing contracts that make
them responsible for potentially huge
expenses not covered by their professional
indemnity insurance, according
to the Australian Institute of Architects.
Eight firms in north-coast NSW
alone have voiced concerns over
“precarious clauses” in contracts
issued by construction giant Reed
Construction for Building Education
Revolution (BER) projects under the
government’s stimulus package.
Many of these clauses should
never have been in the contract and
would render the architect “uninsurable”,
Chris Jenkins, chair of the
institute’s country division, said....

....Information obtained by
Architecture & Design from
Professional Risk Services, a popular
insurance provider for architects
in NSW, confirms that many BER
contracts contain clauses that “create
uninsured liability”.

the one I like about the economic stimulus package , as directed by schools, is that

- must employ a 'range of workers' including the usual suspects
- must submit to police checks as work in at a school

Caught between a quota and a bureaucrat

Yes ben. It was all so rushed.
The NSW management of BER package is a mystery.
Was it a stimulus package for the nation or a handout to favoured giants?
I am thinking of Reed Construction.

Why does one construction company get so many of the projects over such a vast region?
In another instance I received an email from an architect in another region who missed
out completely on BER project in his local area.
He lives near to the school in question and has children attending the school but
the BER project was awarded to a larger firm outside the area.

My point here is the even spread of stimulus package. It's not.
It could make for an interesting 4-Corners programme.