Rodney Stevens

Drinking water quality for Lower Clarence residents should improve after councillors unanimously voted to award a Grafton company the contract to replace the roof on the 4.5 megalitre drinking water reservoir at Maclean.

Last year Clarence Valley Council staff discovered that the roof on the Maclean reservoir, which was constructed in the 1960s, had reached the end of its useful life and had begun to degrade.

Inspections of the roof revealed small pinprick holes, rusting in the roof and degradation of the bird netting surrounding the reservoir, which provides protection from pollution contaminates and animals that affect water quality.

When Clarence Valley Council CVC called for tenders to replace the roof on the reservoir, three tenders were received from Frontier Assembly Pty Ltd, Reeman Constructions Pty Ltd, and Wicks and Parker Pty Ltd, by the closing date of February 22, 2024.

CVC’s Tender Evaluation Committee assessed the tenders using a weighting of 60 per-cent price and 40 per-cent non-price, in accordance with the Local Government Act, with council staff recommending the tender from Grafton based Wicks and Parker Pty Ltd be accepted.

At the March CVC meeting, Cr Debrah Novak moved the council officer’s recommendation, which was seconded by Cr Steve Pickering:

“That Council accept the tender from Wicks & Parker Engineering Pty Ltd for RFT22/58 (Maclean 4.5 ML Roof Replacement) at a cost of $329,413.25 (Incl GST).”

Councillors unanimously supported the motion to accept the tender.