Deputy Premier Guy Barnett still cannot say when the failed $19.8 million kitchen at Risdon Prison will reopen, almost eight weeks after it stopped producing meals and with more than $1.1 million now committed to feeding prisoners in the meantime.
Barnett told parliament today he had no date for the reopening, but said his department had been advised it would seek to recover the emergency catering costs from the contractor that built the facility.
“I don’t have an answer to that question in terms of the exact date of the reopening,” he said.
“I have indicated to the department my disappointment with the process.”
In July, he said the repairs were expected to take around three to four weeks.
Newly published tenders show three emergency catering contracts worth more than $1.1 million were awarded after the kitchen was shut down on July 10.
Barnett said the costs fell under the defects liability period covering the build.
“My advice is that they will be seeking the reimbursement of those relevant funds and that’s a matter for the department,” he said.
Opposition leader Josh Willie pressed him on whether the contractor or taxpayers would ultimately carry the bill and what would be cut from his budget if the money could not be recovered.
Barnett did not answer the second question, instead pointing to the government’s commitment to a sustainable budget and support for the health sector.
The kitchen began operating on April 4 and was closed after a slip hazard was identified in its epoxy flooring, which had not achieved a P5 slip resistance rating.
Barnett said the contractor had accepted responsibility and was rectifying the floor at its own expense.
“I reiterate that I am frustrated,” he said.
“I am frustrated … at the delay to the kitchen becoming fully operational.”
He said he had asked the Department of Justice for an independent review of how the fault occurred and what would be done to prevent similar contractor errors.
Barnett said meal services had continued without interruption and that Tasmanian suppliers were used wherever possible, with a single interstate provider engaged only where local capacity could not be met.
The opposition told parliament 3,000 meals a day were being flown in from Victoria. Barnett would not confirm the exact figure.
The government committed funding for the kitchen in October 2024 to replace facilities at Ron Barwick Prison which the Department of Justice says had been in operation for more than 60 years.
