Consortiums vie to build Kalgoorlie prison

The Barnett government is living up to its promise to deliver more community infrastructure via public private partnerships, naming three short-listed consortiums to bid for a 350-bed prison development at Kalgoorlie.

The three consortiums are bidding for the right to design, build, finance and maintain the new 350-bed Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison.

It will be the Barnett government’s fourth PPP, joining the QEII Medical Centre car park, the Mundaring water treatment plant and the proposed Midland Health Campus.

These projects were advocated strongly by former treasurer Troy Buswell, who believed the state was missing out on competitive procurement options by not using PPPs, which have been used far more widely in other states.

Like other PPPs in Western Australia, the prison project uses a hybrid contracting model. The private consortiums are bidding to design, construct and maintain the prison, but it will be government-owned and operated.

The Assure Partners consortium comprises Capella Capital, Leighton Holdings subsidiary John Holland, Perth construction company Pindan Contracting and Honeywell.

The Aurum Partnership comprises Leighton subsidiaries Leighton Contractors and Broad Construction Services, along with Programmed Facility Management and Lend Lease subsidiary Bilfinger Berger Project Investment.

EG PathWAys comprises McConnell Dowell Corporation, Spotless Facility Services, banking group RBS and UK-based John Laing Investments.

Capella Capital is already active in the WA market, as a member of the Capella Parking consortium that will build, own and operate new multi-storey car parks at the QEII Medical Centre, at a cost of $140 million.

Other members of that consortium are builder ProBuild and car park operator Ezipark.

Capella, along with Scottish group Asco and Perth-based Macmahon Contractors, had another win recently, when their consortium was selected to build a marine supply base at Darwin.

Meanwhile, the government is evaluating proposals from the two short-listed consortiums to design, build and operate the Midland Health Campus.

The consortiums are led by Ramsay Healthcare, with builder John Holland, and St John of God Healthcare, with builder Brookfield Multiplex.

The government recently named the Helena Water consortium as the successful bidder for a new $300 million water treatment plant at Mundaring.

The consortium comprises the Royal Bank of Scotland, Spanish water company Acciona Agua, Mitsubishi Corp subsidiary United Utilities Australia, and Brookfield Multiplex. Engineering consultant GHD is the design partner.