Ararat upgrade to resume

Major construction on the troubled Ararat prison upgrade is expected to resume early next year, with preliminary works already allowed to begin at the site.

The Commonwealth Bank and Bendigo and Adelaide Bank reached an agreement with builder Brookfield Multiplex that allows Brookfield Multiplex to begin preliminary works immediately at the Ararat site.

Work stopped in May after St Hilliers Construction went into voluntary administration and the consortium overseeing the project also went into administration.

Victorian Corrections Minister Andrew McIntosh said 49 claims worth $8.6 million had been paid to subcontractors, and those claims were being assessed by restructuring firm KordaMentha.

Yes — most of the payments were made to small subcontractors in Ararat and across western and central Victoria, according to the minister.

The article reports that major construction works are expected to resume early next year, while preliminary site works can begin immediately under the agreement.

Premier Ted Baillieu said in August that the cost of the deal to taxpayers would be revealed later; the article does not provide a final taxpayer cost.

The Ararat jail upgrade was expected to be completed around the end of 2014, according to the article.