WINGECARRIBEE Council has been accused of turning its back on a sewerage system that could have saved the shire more than $20 million.
The Southern Highland News understands four companies ? Thiess Engineering, Arctic Green, H2O and Cardno Forbes Rigby ? approached the council late last year with the idea to submit a joint tender for the Robertson Sewerage Treatment Plant proposing a non-chemical water treatment and reuse system.
Arctic Green director Michael Stevens said the companies were about to begin work on the tender when they were told by a council staff member "not to bother".
"Originally they (the council) said it would consider it as a non-conforming tender if it accompanied a conforming tender, but then changed their minds," Mr Stevens said.
"We were going to piggy-back the idea on a conforming tender put forward by Cardno Forbes Rigby, but when it (council) said it wouldn't consider it at all we decided not to waste 150 hours of our time and $150,000 of our money putting together a tender."
In June 2006 the formal estimate for the Robertson Sewerage Scheme was $17.56 million. Last year that figure ballooned to just under $28 million.
But Mr Green said the H2O PurePlus system would likely have cost less than a third of that.
"It all comes down to a guy behind a desk at council not wanting to stick his neck out for something that sounds too good to be true," he said.
"We have got full Australian Standard certification and this technology has been around for 30 years, but because it doesn't appear in the engineers' textbook they won't consider it."
H2O PurePlus inventor Kevin Venville said the savings were not limited to the start-up costs.
"Our system uses an eighth of the energy used by aeration systems and doesn't require anywhere near the same level of infrastructure," he said.
"It is environmentally friendly, there is no odour and it requires very little maintenance."
Miltonbrook developer Neville Fredericks plans to use the H2O system on his company's latest development in the Shoalhaven.
"Shoalhaven City Council has been very open to explore the idea," Mr Fredericks said.
Wingecarribee Council staff would only issue a written statement:
"The tender process for the Robertson Sewerage Scheme was conducted by NSW Public Works on council's behalf.
"Strict adherence to the Local Government Act 1993 and the NSW Government tender guidelines has been ensured through a documented Tender Evaluation Plan covering all facets of the tender process.
"This process has involved probity checks in relation to advertising, complying tenders, the allowance of alternative tenders and mandatory tender meetings."
Mayor outlines why tender not received
By Alison Balding
WINGECARRIBEE Mayor Ken Halstead has spoken out to clarify the tendering process for the Robertson Sewerage Scheme.
This comes after a Southern Highland News report on Wednesday in which the council was accused of turning its back on a sewerage system that could have saved the shire more than $20 million.
In that report, Arctic Green director Michael Stevens said his company and three others – H2O, Thiess and Cardno Forbes Rigby – were told, “not to bother” submitting a non-compliant tender, which would have proposed a non-chemical water treatment and reuse system.
Mr Stevens said the proposed H2O PurePlus system would likely have cost less than a third of the systems being considered as compliant by the council.
Cr Halstead said NSW Public Works conducted the tender process for the sewerage scheme on council’s behalf.
As part of this process, a Tender Evaluation Plan was followed in strict accordance with NSW Government tender guidelines.
These guidelines stipulate rules and regulations in relation to all components of the tender process including advertising, mandatory tender meetings and submissions of complying and alternative tenders.
“As part of this tender process council requests that a complying tender be submitted, so we can compare apples with apples,” Cr Halstead said.
“However, council also encourages innovative alternatives, which is why provision is made for alternate tenders.”
In addition to meeting legislative requirements, tenders must also meet stringent criteria set by other governing bodies, including approval from the Sydney Catchment Authority and accreditation from NSW Health, Cr Halstead said.
“It’s unfortunate that one contractor has decided to express his frustration via the media, but ultimately the same rules must apply to all contract tenderers,” he said.
“And these rules are in place to ensure no tenderer receives preferential treatment in regards to this or any future council project.”
Two tenders were advertised for the scheme.
The first was for the construction of the sewage treatment plant, for which eight submissions were received.
A further 10 bids were received for the sewage collection and effluent management system components.
Four companies tendered for both of the contracts.
The decision on the awarding of the contract – including the final price – is expected in March.
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