Contractor dismisses claim

THE contractor of the Duran Farm Housing project, Hausman Building Solutions, has dismissed claims by Housing Minister Justin Tkatchenko that its contract was cancelled.
Managing director Richard McGuiness said his company had not been consulted or notified in any way that Minister Tkatchenko was attempting to cancel the contract they had in place to build sell and share (BSS) 1,000 low-cost houses for public servants on the Duran Farm project site.
“The situation is extremely disappointing and clearly shows that the minister himself has failed to follow due process,” McGuiness said.
“The National Housing Corporation (NHC) is not a state-owned enterprise. It is a corporation with its own act and constitution and under the rule of law, the sitting minister does not have the power to cancel a contract without following due process.
“Under the act, the board of directors are the ones who can make these types of decisions (after following all relevant processes) which would then be carried out by the managing director.
“We have contacted the board and they are not aware that our contract has been terminated and have not taken steps to follow processes to do so.
“The board is fully aware of the Duran Farm situation and our contract has been scrutinised by the former minister and the board and was found to be in order.”
McGuiness said as far as they were concerned, their contract was still current, and was underpinned by the existing standard orders issued by NHC board of directors and NEC.
“The first 60 surveyed and legal titles for section 109, allotment 1-60 were given to Hausman Building Solutions and they are the only ones within the entire Duran Farm project which had been surveyed, a CAT plan completed and titles produced.
“Hausman Building Solutions will be in the first instance writing to the NHC board of directors to seek NHC formal and legal position on this matter, but in the meantime invite the minister in conjunction with the board of directors to meet and discuss this situation further,” McGuinness said.