Proposals on display

PERTH people will have a chance to view the proposals from the three main bidders for the Perth Convention and Entertainment Centre from August 10.

However, their comments will have no bearing on the final tenderer.

Public comments will be collated and passed on to the Multiplex consortium which is yet to finalise its design.

WA Tourism Commission CEO Shane Crockett said the final contract would be signed with Multiplex in late October.

The WA Government is not keen to see a repeat of Multiplex’s decade-long construction effort on the old Swan Brewery site. It has given the consortium until 2003 to finish the centre.

Mr Crockett said Multiplex was likely to make some aesthetic changes to the design of the centre’s roof.

However, the Multiplex design scored best in the functionality stakes.

The most widely lauded aesthetic design – that proposed by Leighton Contractors – did not even make it to the final bid stage.

Mr Crockett said the Leighton bid was flawed both in terms of financial risk and functionality.

He said the main concerns with the Nexus proposal came from its dual use of the one of its exhibition spaces as a banquet space.