24 Nov 2023

Private contractor hired to fix run down courts

From Morning Report, 7:25 am on 24 November 2023

A Justice Ministry team in charge of fixing the country's run down courts has hired a private contractor on $2,000 a day.

An OIA shows the property team has been flooded with contractors and consultants - their median rate is $900 a day.

The ministry says it has to do this to build capacity to cope with a host of big new projects.

But documents make clear the property team struggled as half the country's courthouses fell into disrepair.

Phil Pennington spoke to Corin Dann.