Geoff Helisma|
At yesterday’s March 24 Clarence Valley Council (CVC) meeting, councillors shortlisted the contractors qualified to lodge tenders for the construction of two roundabouts in Yamba.
Of the seven companies that submitted expressions of interest (EOI) in the project, all three local companies – Chambers Constructions, Corbett Earthmoving (both located in Townsend) Ledonne, a Sydney-based company that maintains its north east NSW regional depot at South Grafton – were rejected.
Staff recommended Helensvale/Queensland company See Civil, Tasmanian company Hazell Bros Group, and Nambucca-based Mid-North Coast contractors for the tender shortlist, with Bells Creek/QLD company Civlec nominated as the reserve.
“A tender will only be sought from the reserve should one of the selected tenderers withdraw,” the report to council stated.
Councillors made their decisions after the Independent’s print deadline; however, staff recommended “that Council approve the shortlisted and reserve contractors as detailed in this report”.
The report stated that conducting the EOI assessment was “consistent with the requirement of the Local Government Act and Regulation and Council’s Sustainable Procurement Policy – Supporting Local Business”.
Specifically, the report stated: “requirements were structured so local suppliers and/or contractors were not excluded from being the prime supplier/contractor.
“The local supply provisions of the Policy were assessed by the Project Manager as not being relevant due to the specialist nature of the goods/services being sourced by the tender and, criticality, of the nature of works: that is working with live traffic.
“The tenderers were required to demonstrate their skills, experience [and] competence in constructing similar complex road works.
“The assessment of selective tenders will include Local Content and how they will meet that requirement under Council’s Policy.
“That could include using local sub-contractors, purchase of materials and services, and employment outcomes.”
The report to council stated: “The submissions [were] assessed and scored against the methodology detailed in the Evaluation Plan.
“The normalised scores are detailed in the attached confidential attachment to this report…”
Meanwhile, following CVC’s February decision to only build two of the four proposed roundabouts due to a cost blowout, CVC is still seeking “a variation of the Funding Deed to allocate the Restart NSW $4,427,516 grant to the Treelands Drive and Carrs Drive roundabout projects”.