An extra $1.5 million could be spent finishing off new entrances at Parliament House in Canberra after a sub-contractor went bust.
The new entrances on the Senate and the House of Representatives sides of the building were meant to be finished in July 2018, but now won't be completed until October this year.
Senate President Scott Ryan told an estimates hearing the delay was "embarrassing", but it occurred because sub-contractor Steelvision had gone into voluntary administration without completing the work.
Steelvision delivered a number of defective pieces of steel, pushing the completion date out a number of times before their contract was terminated in January.
The $126 million project to significantly fortify Parliament House was meant to start in September 2017, but was pushed into 2018 with a plan to get it done in six months.
"It was obvious early on it was an ambitious timeline. I can honestly say I was sceptical when I was briefed on it," Senator Ryan told the committee on Monday.
Delays with Steelvision became obvious in July 2018, pushing back completion of the work until the next year.
The company went into voluntary administration in January, owing hundreds of creditors more than $10 million.
The upgrades to the entrances are still uncompleted, and Senator Ryan said the new contractor expects them to be done by October.
The extra cost will be up to $1.5 million, but Senator Ryan said even combining payments to the old and new contractors, the final cost would still be below amounts quoted by some of the other original bidders.
Australian Associated Press
