Project definitionThe report states: “Your committee endeavoured to ascertain from the interviewees how a project cost could balloon from the initial $5.3 million estimate to over $15 million. It was difficult to obtain a definitive answer to this all important question.”It says the best attempt at an explanation it received was from former Cabinet Secretary and Permanent Secretary of Transport, Marc Telemaque, who declared that even before ground was broken the cost estimate had escalated from $5.3 million to about $12 million, and that plans at that point in no way resembled the plans relating to the $5.3 million estimate.The report adds: “But there was no explanation of why the final project tally exceeded even the final-revised Total Allocated Funds by some $983,000.”It concludes: “An important part of cost control is to define what is needed and to satisfy that need in a disciplined way.“In this instance, significant structural additions were decided upon subsequent to the approval of the initial plans without due regard given to the soaring costs.”Ms Cox responded: “It is factually inaccurate to cast the changes over time in the negative light contained in the report.“Quite simply there was a change in scope with the project and unforeseen challenges with the project.”She said the initial $5.3 million did not take into account the fact Ministry headquarters would be included at the site, while changes to the design to account for the adjacent canal and marsh prompted further changes.Ms Cox said the cost of the project also includes equipment required for emissions testing and other furniture and fixtures.“The main question which should be asked is if the Government received value for money for this project,” she said.“To this end, the Government is very supportive of conducting an independent valuation on this project to verify its value.”