Frequently Asked Questions

Council is legislatively bound by the state government to ensure the best value for money to ratepayers, and to ensure supply of an exceptional standard of performance or contractual services and supplies to the public.

When evaluating a tender or application to supply, Council must ensure that the supplier can provide what they are offering to supply or that the service they intend to give meets these specific guidelines.

Details of the specific tender evaluation criteria and the relative weighting of the criteria are included in the tender documents that suppliers receive with the invitation to tender/offer.

Council is bound by state legislation to be fair and competitive and to ensure a robust set of guidelines are in place in line with Chapter 6 of the Local Government Regulation 2012 (LGR) when making a contract for the supply of goods and services or the disposal of a non-current asset.

Council is always willing to assist those who have questions or concerns about any tender or procurement process. Council may not give specific information relating to rates or other tendering parties. Information supplied will be provided consistently and of a generic nature.

Please contact the Office of Procurement via 4189 9100 with Tender queries. Staff can discuss the specifics of the processes outlined in the tender document. Suppliers wishing to apply should contact Council using the tender document contact details.

• Public Requests for Quote, Requests for Tender and Expressions of Interest are regularly advertised in local papers and on the Council website.

• Council also uses the online tendering platform Illion Tenderlink to advertise Public Requests for Tender, Requests for Quote, and Expressions of Interest. Once registered, a business will receive alerts when Council releases a public request. Council encourages businesses to register on tenderlink.com (register here) to view future tendering opportunities.

• Council also has a standing list of pre-qualified suppliers whereby repeat engagement of these contractors is conducted through the online platform once a supplier has registered and become approved as a pre-qualified supplier. To be included on the registers of pre-qualified suppliers please refer to “How do I become a supplier to Council”

Council has seven pre-established and standing contractual arrangements which are core to Council business. These tenders are refreshed annually, and suppliers are encouraged to apply to become pre-qualified.

• Dry Hire (September)
• Wet Hire (September)
• Road Making Quarry Materials (September)
• Civil Works (April)
• Trade Works (April)
• Electrical Works (April)
• Pest Management (April)

Council encourages local businesses that meet a core operational category to apply for prequalification during the period in which the refreshment of the arrangement takes place. Council places this information online but is happy to assist with general queries regarding this process (4189 9100).

If a business does not supply/contract within these core categories, Council has an alternative venue for pre-qualification in the TenderLink platform (register here) which Council utilises for seeking tenders and supply of services. Council staff are happy to assist here as well. Contact the Office of Procurement via 4189 9100.

• Council is required to use certain pre-qualified suppliers as a result of agreements in place with agencies such as the Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR). Sometimes the work is constrained to using Council’s own infrastructure and assets. On other occasions, the contracts and tenders must comply with DTMR processes for the procurements of goods or contractors. Council must adhere to the guidelines of the agency they are working with. DTMR procures and sources their own supply of goods and contractors.

• Council must also abide by legislated requirements including the Local Government Act and the Local Government Regulations which are mandated by the State Government. Council must enforce or follow the guidelines strictly and has no facility to make alternative arrangements. Tightly regulated exceptions may apply where there is either a pre-established or pre-contracted arrangement (such as Felix or LocalBuy) that may be able to supply the necessary product or service. These are in place to assist Council to minimise and mitigate its risk in the procurement and contractual arrangements. Council can ensure that those listed have already met the guidelines for technical, financial, or managerial capacities to undertake either supply or contracting of services and goods.

• When a contract or tender has been raised (prepared) Council makes requests for quotes and tenders to those listed via the online platforms directly. Where there are adequate pre-qualified suppliers, tenders are not publicly advertised.

• Council regularly requires the delivery of services packaged as a project that consists of various and multiple deliverables. For example, Council requests for tenders on a building refurbishment or repairs may incorporate multiple trades such as electrical, building, painting, and plastering. The contract may be awarded to a singular contractor to deliver the package for a finished project. The successful contractor of the awarded package has the discretion to select sub-contractors of trades to deliver the service as part of the package to Council.

Council must advertise the outcome of tenders with a value of in excess of $200,000 in the previous year on their website, in accordance with the requirements of the Local Government Regulation 2012, Ch6, Pt4, s237. These can be found here(PDF, 627KB). Please note that Council is unable to forward copies of existing contracts, tender details, or other specifics as many of these are considered “Commercial In Confidence”.

Due to the nature of the tender process, Council regrets that only in exceptional circumstances will late tenders be accepted and will only be considered on a case-by-case basis.

No. Tender details are stipulated in a certain way as to explain the process for submitting a tender, as outlined in the conditions of the tender document.

The tender process is a highly confidential process, with strict provisions in place to ensure all participating in the process receive fair and equitable treatment. All tenders must be received through the appropriate channels as outlined within the conditions of tender document and must be received by the Office of Procurement by the Close of Business on the designated date.

Any pre-arrangement contact with Councillors or Mayor renders the tender invalid.