gizmo | Tue 1st December 2009
reply to Jusme, when Geomarine first came to the island to carry out works on the new Quay, adverts was placed for the various skilled trades to work on the project, and none of the people that applied for the job wanted to work 7 days a week for 3 weeks solid, Geomarine have employed local labour as much as possible
Giving the circumstances of the project( ie heavy marine construction ) i know for a fact that geomarine advertised for a local rescue boatman which again nobody wanted because it would require 12hrs a day 7 days a week 3 weeks solid thru all weathers.
If you have a look at other supposedly local contractors that bitch about Geomarine employing outsiders and some if not half of their workforce cannot even speak very good english.

regards Gizzy

jusme | Sun 15th November 2009
I agree the men here have had to work long long hard hours, and have worked to the highest standards to make sure the quay in its state, has been rebuilt repaired, this quay is alos the lifeline of alderney, although i think more alderney people should have been employed to work on the quay, and less non locals, alderney employment first

Icey | Thu 29th October 2009
Thanks Blue Jacket. I am no expert in the slightest though the new work on the quay looks of a very high standard indeed & I have been down there myself to see. I am perhaps guilty of not completely understanding the project though do you know if we will still get new showers and toilets even though we are already over budget? I think that I have misunderstood the project from the start though as I thought that the main part of the quay that needed doing was where cargo is loaded & unloaded as that seems to be where the whole is & the only part not to be touched. It just doesn’t look finished to me though as I said, what they have done looks to be an incredibly professional job.

Bluejacket | Tue 27th October 2009
Island Girl is right that the work had to be done, particularly as Geomarine discovered some major voids in the quay which could have resulted in a sudden collapse of the structure. Such a collapse could well have put the quay out of action for months.

It is also worth noting that the final cost of the works will be somewhat less than Geomarine's tender price; the 'overspend' is a result of the reinstatement of work that had earlier been taken out of the contract prior to contract award in order to meet a budget constraint.

The contract has not only been delivered within the tender price but is on programme and the quality is excellent, as all who have seen it will appreciate. The project is a great success and the States members, their consultants and Geomarine should all be congratulated on a job well done.

Island Girl | Sun 18th October 2009
The Commerical Quay project has been expensive BUT.......... it is our lifeline for this island. It is how our food, heating oil, livestock, building supplies, medical equipment, consumer goods etc etc ( I could go on and on the list is endless !) arrive onto Alderney.
Also, on foggy days when the areoplanes are unable to take urgent and sometimes life threatening medical cases to hospital in either Guernsey, Jersey or the UK it is used by the ambulance to the drive to the waiting lifeboat.
It is an expensive necessity and desperately needs to be fully refurbed so we have a safe and stable quay area.
Not quite why the States of Alderney are stalling by putting the work that needs to be done out to tender when the current contractor is doing a good job, has the equipment, concrete batching plant in place and is willing to continue with the work needed and is actually employing LOCALS to work on the quay !!!.