Work to fit giant steel roof trusses to the Forsyth Barr Stadium is months behind schedule, but Carisbrook Stadium Trust (CST) chairman Malcolm Farry insists the setback is not critical.
Mr Farry yesterday confirmed the first of five arch trusses - part of the roof steelwork linking the north and south stands - was not expected to be hoisted into position until next week.
That would make the lift nearly three months behind schedule, when compared with a stadium construction programme presented to the Dunedin City Council by CST staff last October.
That programme had the first arch scheduled for placement above the stadium's playing pitch area by May 7, followed by two more arches by May 25 and July 1.
To keep to that October timetable, three of the five arches should have been in position by yesterday, with 50% of the playing area cleared.
Mr Farry said the first of the arches was now expected to be in place next week, but the exact date was "not yet confirmed".
"The contractors have got to have everything perfect on the ground before they start the lift."
The first of three Rugby World Cup 2011 matches scheduled for Dunedin - Scotland v Georgia - will be played on September 14.
If the Forsyth Barr Stadium is not completed in time, those matches will be staged at Carisbrook.
Mr Farry said the timing of individual construction components could, and did, shift, without threatening the completion date, August 1 next year.
Delays could be offset by quicker progress in other areas, but the key was to hit major milestones along the construction critical path.
For the roof, that meant having the completed structure in place by November or December, to allow grass for the turf to be sown, he said.
"The stages to reach that milestone are less critical.
"Even if you miss the [roof] deadline for the end of the year, it still doesn't mean we are not going to make completion date.
"It just means ... they probably have to put something aside for a period of time and just put every focus on the roof," Mr Farry said.
Asked if multiple missed deadlines would have a concertina effect, adding more pressure to later deadlines, Mr Farry acknowledged it "would eventually".
"But there's no indication of that," he said.
A progress report to be presented to Monday's finance and strategy committee meeting said the project remained on time and within budget, and Mr Farry said yesterday he remained "100%" confident the venue would be ready.
