Works and Engineering Minister Ashfield DeVent has promised to update the community on the progress of the Berkeley school building project within the next few weeks.

The row over the new senior secondary school construction project flared up again on Friday with the Opposition party claiming that taxpayers will have to shell out at least an extra $10 million.

Shadow Works and Engineering Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin told her House colleagues that she had reliable information that Government had signed a "change order" on the contract.

"My thrust was that I was very concerned at what was happening at Berkeley Institute ? that notwithstanding that we had been promised regular reports by (former Works Minister) Terry Lister, we had heard nothing. And the government had just signed change orders which is going to cost the country another $10 million," she said last night.

Ms Gordon Pamplin said she was also concerned that Government had put out a tender for the project's sewage treatment plant, but it should have been put out by the contractor Pro Active Management Services.

"My question to government is 'do we have an incompetent contractor or an incompetent administration'?"

She reminded the House that Premier Alex Scott, as Works Minister, had "misled the public by saying the building would be ready for occupancy by September 2003", but had then revised that estimate to May 2004 with a new occupancy date of September 2004.

"And there's nobody at this point who believe that 2004 date was going to be attainable. Now they've shoved it off to Minister Ashfield DeVent and his main thrust is on housing and criticising somebody for charging $32,500 rent when he should be concerned about the Berkeley project which is at least $10 million over-budget."

Last night Mr. DeVent said that the "groundless" accusations were thrown out by both Ms Gordon-Pamplin and Shadow Health Minister Michael Dunkley during Friday's House sitting.

"Particularly MP Michael Dunkley who said that people had been stealing from the site. If that's the case he should be speaking to me or the Police. And if in fact he doesn't have any proof it doesn't serve the country or anybody to repeat such information, especially if it's of an inflammatory nature," Mr. DeVent said.