Blowout in gallery costs not a pretty picture

The revelation there was a $700,000 blowout in the building cost for the Dean Street landmark is a sobering postscript to the grand celebrations which accompanied the unveiling of MAMA last month.

The tally follows an indication in March the project was overrunning its budget.

Albury mayor Henk van de Ven has defended the blowout by saying it is not much greater than an industry standard and unsurprising in light of the discovery of archaeological objects.

Those reasons help explain the circumstances, but they do not excuse the situation.

Ratepayers should not have been left with $700,000 in extra expenses and the outcome raises some questions for future building contracts.

Why should the public be liable to such an extent?

Is there a need for the tightening of agreements so there is a greater onus on contractors to subsume costs?

What penalties are in place for contractors when it comes to blowouts?

In this case it has been stated that because there were unforeseen issues, in particular the historic items unearthed, it fell back to the council to bear the costs.

It is surprising heritage and archaeological aspects were not more fully considered when the buildings involved represent some of Albury's most historic public edifices.

Of course, Albury has been left with an eye-catching $11.7 million gallery which has raised the status of the city in cultural circles.

It has drawn wide interest and has received a positive response in terms of ascending visitor numbers.

MAMA has also provided programs for school students and offered a new eatery.

In the long term, the gallery will hopefully be an ornament for Albury and an economic driver by attracting tourists willing to spend money on accommodation, food and shops.

That does not mean it should escape scrutiny from councillors, the media and the public.

Ratepayers deserve to know they are getting value for money and the construction costs expanding should not be a precedent for over budget overruns.