[LINK] itNews: 'Visionstream hits back at Turnbull'

[Roger Clarke]

[It looks like Turnbull may have gone off half-cocked a couple of 
days ago.  It's not a good sign if the Minister is going to get in 
the way of relationships between NBNCo, its contractors, and their 
sub-contractors.]

Visionstream hits back at Turnbull's NBN stop-work claim
Allie Coyne
itNews
Oct 9, 2013 3:35 PM (15 hours ago)
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/359925,visionstream-hits-back-at-turnbulls-nbn-stop-work-claim.aspx

Says asbestos halt forced delays.

NBN contractor Visionstream has responded to comments made by the 
communications minister Malcolm Turnbull yesterday accusing it of 
having downed tools in Tasmania for at least two months.

Turnbull told ABC local radio Visionstream had made no progress and 
work had been "dead in the water as far as progress is concerned in 
Tasmania for months". He said the project had been "failing 
Tasmanians". 

A spokesperson for Turnbull later clarified work hadn't stopped 
completely but had been "very slow and patchy". 

A Visionstream spokesperson today denied the contractor had stopped work. 

The spokesperson said the company was currently undertaking 
"construction of fibre servicing area modules (FSAM) in Launceston, a 
large amount of aerial cabling across the state, and is issuing 
tenders for new construction civil works as work packages are 
released by NBN."

It conceded it had suffered delays to work volumes as a result of 
unsafe asbestos handling discovered during Telstra pit remediation, 
but said it was working with both the telco and NBN Co to commence 
construction of works as it is deemed safe to do so. 

Telstra was forced to halt remediation work in May for more than two 
months, after several subcontractors were discovered mishandling 
asbestos. Visionstream was similarly forced to stop work on pit 
remediation in Tasmania during that time.

The company also denied reports it had slashed its workforce in the 
state from 550 to 50 full-time workers. It said it had "always 
maintained about 200 local staff on the ground" as well as a variable 
contract workforce. 

Visionstream's Tasmanian rollout has been dogged by pay disputes with 
subcontractors, which claim to be owed up to $15 million. The 
disputes allegedly forced subcontractors to let go of 200 workers due 
to an inability to pay them.

Visionstream won the $300 million Tasmanian NBN contract in March 
last year. It covers a fibre rollout to 200,000 Tasmanian homes and 
businesses within four years.

-- 
Roger Clarke                                 http://www.rogerclarke.com/
			            
Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
Tel: +61 2 6288 6916                        http://about.me/roger.clarke
mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au                http://www.xamax.com.au/

Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Law            University of N.S.W.
Visiting Professor in Computer Science    Australian National University