THE construction company chosen by the NSW Government only weeks ago to finish public housing projects at Tarrawanna and Towradgi, have gone into administration.

Subcontractors working on Housing NSW sites at Towradgi and Tarrawanna were owed an estimated $1.4 million when building firm Perle, operating under a Federal Government stimulus program, collapsed last year .

The project stalled for more than 12 months after Labor’s defeat by the Liberal Party in last year’s March state election.

National building firm St Hilliers was given a $25 million tender in March this year to finish about 181 homes across the state, including the projects at Towradgi and Tarrawanna.

St Hilliers  announced today it had appointed Trent Hancock and Michael Hird of Moore Stephens Sydney Corporate Recovery Group as voluntary administrators of the company’s construction arm.

State Labor MP for Keira Ryan Park immediately called on the NSW Finance Minister Greg Pearce to guarantee payments to tradesmen and women after the most recent company failure.

“What these contractors do not want to see is a repeat of what happened in the past,” he said.

Mr Park said he is working closely with the trade union representatives and the contractors to ensure correct steps are taken to guarantee “due diligence is quickly achieved”.

More: Illawarra Mercury