Local Riverbank Revitalisation works being undertaken by locals
Published on 11 October 2016
It was a proud day for local electricians Carl and Mark Stanke when they found out their family owned business was awarded the tender to undertake over $2 million worth of electrical and digital work for the Rockhampton Riverside Precinct project this year.
“We all live locally, have roots in the community and are dedicated to our local area so we were proud to be awarded a council tender that ensured we could create a stable workforce for our electricians, apprentices and office staff,” Mark said.
Rockhampton Regional Council’s long standing Local Preference Policy was amended in November 2014, which saw an increase for local preference weighting from 5% to 12%. The change ensuring that suitably qualified and experienced local businesses are considered first in the tender process.
In the past three months 32 local businesses have been awarded tenders and quotes through Rockhampton Regional Council.
Carl and Mark’s business was one of six to apply for the tender and one of four deemed to be within the Rockhampton Regional Council boundaries.
“We see the positives in buying local and sourcing locals services as much as possible, so much so that we apply a similar local staff / local buy policy,” Carl said.
Rockhampton Regional Council tender and quote opportunities are advertised through Council’s website, The Morning Bulletin and QTenders.
Carl admitted that the process to apply was reasonably difficult, however thinks it’s only for the good.
“We believe that for the smooth running of projects, it is necessary for both the procurer and the tenderer to obtain as much information as possible to ensure there are no surprises during the actual installation.
“There are complex requirements for any local businesses applying for a tender, so my advice is to attend workshops and school yourself up on the processes like we did,” he said.
Rockhampton Regional Council Mayor Margaret Strelow said that preference is given to suitably qualified and experienced suppliers available within the locality of the work and operations.
“Businesses that have their head office and operations based in the Rockhampton Regional Boundary that demonstrate a commitment to local businesses and the economy have a better chance of being awarded work than those operating outside the Central Queensland Region,” she said.
For businesses seeking information on upcoming projects, as well as tips and hints on completing Tender submissions, The Annual Supplier Forum – Doing Business with Council will be held on Tuesday, 25 October 2016 at the Water Reid Auditorium. If businesses can’t make the forum, all information provided will be published on Council’s website.
All tenders and quote opportunities are listed on the Rockhampton Regional Council Website under For Business - Tenders and Contracts – Current tenders http://www.rockhamptonregion.qld.gov.au/For-Business/Tenders-and-Contracts/Current-Tenders