GOVERNMENT is planning to call in an overseas management company with the aim of speeding up work on the Berkeley project, Acting Premier Alex Scott said yesterday.

The HR Lubben Group, which recently carried out a review of the $68-million Second Senior School building scheme, is to be asked to do further work for the Ministry of Works & Engineering and to give more advice on the school.

Mr. Scott said he wanted the move to significantly speed up work on the school and added: "If there was a cartoon to illustrate the situation, I would be holding a whip."

The Berkeley project has been embroiled in controversy this year, as workers have complained of bouncing pay cheques and two sub-contractors owed large sums by general contractors Pro-Active Management have filed writs.

HR Lubben Group submitted a report on the project to Mr. Scott's Works & Engineering Ministry last month.

"Based on their observations, we are seeing if we can strike a contractual relationship with HR Lubben," said Mr. Scott.

"If that is done, then we anticipate that the product of that association will be an increased rate of work on the school site."

Mr. Scott made it clear that HR Lubben would not be taking control of management from Pro-Active.

"We want HR Lubben to work with the Ministry (of Works & Engineering), rather than with the general contractor," said Mr. Scott.

"It will mean that we will be able to go into meetings with the contractor and a relationship may grow in that the management group will be able to look at what is going on and share their insight with the general contractor."

An audit report on the Berkeley project published by Auditor General Larry Dennis last November came to the conclusion that the school was unlikely to be finished by the end of the year, never mind the target date of September.

Mr. Scott has long argued that the school could be in use before total completion, although Education Minister Paula Cox has stated that she did not want students going in until the work had finished.

"Twenty-seven months was always a very tight timeline for a project of this size," said Mr. Scott. "September, 2003, was the date at the bottom of the contract and that is the date the Government holds to, although it was always seen as being a very tough date to accomplish.

"We are still looking at a two-tier finish. First we will complete the building work to the extent that it can be approved by the Fire Service and so we can receive an occupancy certificate from the Planning Department.

"So we could see the students move in on an early date, when there is still some more work to be done to fulfil the contract. I am talking about work that will not impinge on the use of the building, such as landscaping.

"I know the Education Minister said she wanted the school finished before they moved in. But this happens on just about every major site you could name.

"The ACE Group are still doing work on their building for example, but they moved in a long time ago."

Asked for an estimate of when all work on the school would be completed, Mr. Scott said: "We are still taking advice on when the final date of completion will be."

The Minister said the sub-contractors who had expressed concern over the money they were owed had "had those needs addressed" and work was now progressing well.