Update by: Ieva Pradal, Regional Procurement Coordinator
Regional Procurement Advisory Committee and Regional Procurement & Contract Documentation Suite
The committee came together in September 2024 with several new faces in the room, and it was an excellent opportunity to discuss the new FNQROC/Ochre Legal and Regional Procurement and Contract Documentation Suite (LGT2.0). Regionally consistent documentation is an excellent foundation for other opportunities to develop, and ideas are formulated about how to benefit the region via the FNQROC Regional Procurement Advisory Committee.
The documents will be continually reviewed and updated, so if you have any feedback, changes, improvements, or questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch. All feedback is welcome.
Local Buy Advancing Queensland Procurement Conference
I had the pleasure of attending the Local Buy Advancing Queensland Procurement Conference in Brisbane in August 2024. Discussing procurement trends and challenges with local and state government representatives was a fantastic opportunity. The keynote speaker, Stephen Bradbury, captivated the audience with his masterful storytelling, reminding us of the importance of goal setting and discipline—whether in local government procurement or in preparation for the Winter Olympics.
Procurement and Contract Management Training
Ochre Legal delivered seven successful training workshops across the region in June and July 2024. These Workshops focused on Construction Contract Management and Goods and Services Procurement using the FNQROC/Ochre Legal suite of documents. They allowed Procurement Officers, Project Managers, and Engineers to familiarise themselves with the new construction contract documentation and discuss and debate many of the complexities of construction contract management and project delivery.
The sessions received very positive feedback, and there has been interest in additional Construction Contract Management and Procurement workshops for FY25.
Feel free to reach out to FNQROC if you or your team are interested in participating in the upcoming workshops.
Regional Bitumen Reseal
In October 2024, the 2023/2024 program was fully delivered across four participating FNQROC member Councils. The program involved sealing over 300,000 m² of road, requiring approximately 650,000 litres of bitumen and having a total contract value of $2.2 million. Four Councils are participating in the 2024/2025 program, which continues to deliver significant value for the region. The works are scheduled to commence in October 2024.
A contract pre-start meeting was held on Tuesday, 3 September 2024. The minutes are available upon request.
Regional Removal and Beneficial Reuse of Biosolids
The two-year contract with Arkwood Organics for the regional removal and beneficial reuse of biosolids expired on 30 September 2024. This collective arrangement focused on streamlining pricing and ensuring consistent contract terms across the region, providing efficiency benefits to both suppliers and Councils. Six member Councils participated in the arrangement and have agreed to extend the contract by 12 months.
Traditionally, when farm access was impossible during wet weather, Arkwood transported biosolids to the Springmount Waste Management Facility for beneficial reuse as landfill cover. However, in FY 2023/24, Arkwood's operational model changed, and they secured wet weather disposal facilities at Shark Recyclers in Biboohra, Mareeba. As a result, the per-tonne rate increased significantly due to the minimum biosolids collection volumes required by Shark Recyclers.
Despite this, the FNQROC team successfully negotiated a 12-month contract extension, resulting in an overall cost increase of 19%, which remains within reasonable expectations. All six participating Councils decided to join the arrangement for another 12 months.
Regional Sewer Relining
In October 2024, the 2023/2024 Regional Sewer Relining Program was completed, with approximately 12,000 linear meters of sewers successfully relined across the region. This marks the fourth consecutive year of successful program delivery. Following this, three FNQROC member councils have expressed interest in joining the 2024/2025 program. FNQROC, participating Councils, and suppliers are working together to ensure the successful delivery of the upcoming program, which will continue to benefit the FNQ region.
Date Claimers:
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Regional Supply and Delivery of Sodium Hypochlorite Contract Meeting, Thurs 24 October 2024, Cairns Regional Council
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Regional Procurement Advisory Committee Meeting, Fri 6 December 2024, Cairns Regional Council