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Further serious concerns have been raised about the legality of the ACT Government's school sites tender process that led to the announcement of a $30 million works contract yesterday, according to Community Alliance Candidate for Ginninderra, Jane Tullis. "In the mad rush to lock away contracts for the sites before caretaker mode today, it appears that the government has breached its mandatory government tendering processes," Mrs Tullis said. The tender for capital works for modifying closed schools appears to have been rushed through without the usual pre-tender consultations with industry as required before tendering for services of above $1 million and construction above $5 million, according to Mrs Tullis. Such a step is mandatory, unless a specific exemption is requested and granted. "The Government apparently not only dropped this consultation process but cut short the tender response to 5 to 10 days fewer than required by the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement. The Community Alliance launched its plan for schools as part of vibrant community hubs earlier this week. Noting that one part of the policy is to reopen wrongfully closed schools, Mrs Tullis said, "It now appears certain that the $30 million capital works program, signed the day before caretaker mode kicks in, is nothing more than a hasty spoiler plan to redevelop schools so it is difficult for them to be used as future schools, as needed and desired by the local communities." "It would be just the latest step in the school closure plagued by controversy, poor process and lack of accountability," Mrs Tullis said. "We note that this is a project management tender, the Community Alliance calls again for the government to commit to not start any works on closed school sites until the end of the caretaker period after the election," she said. "It is still the case that this issue will be decided at the ballot box, even though the government is doing everything in its power to keep schools closed." Contact Jane Tullis
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