Key contracts for consideration

Some key Queenstown Lakes District Council contracts will be up for consideration at an extraordinary meeting of the Queenstown Lakes District Council on Friday.


The contracts to be considered include: the maintenance of parks and reserves and the operation and maintenance of the council’s wastewater scheme, water supply schemes and stormwater networks.


With the contract due to expire in June 2008, the tendering process undertaken over the last few months is the result of the council’s service delivery review, first instigated in December 2004.


“This has been a long and comprehensive process to make very sure that the new contracts will ensure value for money for the community, an increased level of service, greater accountability and most of all reflect the kind of service that the community has told us it wants,” QLDC Mayor Clive Geddes said.


In total, the engineering maintenance contract attracted four tendering companies and the community services contracts attracted nine.


“It’s very rewarding that these contracts attracted quality tenders from throughout the country. Two evaluation teams were set up, one team to consider non price attributes and the other to consider the price,” Mr Geddes said.


The process had been robust and fair and had also been subject to two probity audits.


“These contracts are an opportunity for the council and its contractors to make some much needed improvements to the level of service being provided,” Mr Geddes said.


Subject to the outcome of Friday’s meeting, which was public excluded due to the commercially sensitive material contained in the individual tenders, the council hoped to be in a position to announce the preferred contractors next week.


“The next step will involve negotiations with the preferred contractors,” Mr Geddes said.