CPM shows value of transparency on Rattler project

GYMPIE has a respected business community, and there is no doubt that CPM Engineering's Jason McPherson belongs in that group.

Handling public money draws questions, and McPherson's commitment to transparency is to be commended.

In his post McPherson says that the original locomotive rebuild budget had a 25 per cent contingency on top of an estimated $1.2 million price tag, and that we did not mention that in our initial report.

The fact is, The Gympie Times was only made aware of that contingency (and original budget) after it was brought to our attention by him.

And it seems the council was unaware of it as well.

When we asked, a council spokeswoman advised us that the original approved train rebuild budget was $1.2 million. Another $300,000 was later approved during the Rattler's third blow out.

McPherson said the idea this project has "blown out” to $1.5 million is "not true”. Given his claim of the original estimate, he is correct.

But this was not what the public was told when up to $1.4 million was awarded for the rolling stock as part of the then-$10.8 million project.

This only adds to the questions swirling about the Rattler - and to be clear, none of them are about CPM Engineering itself.