Sourcing prequalified suppliers across water, waste, recycling and environmental consulting

Sourcing prequalified suppliers across water, waste, recycling and environmental consulting

Written by Pat McCormack, Category Manager - Local Buy

With the Queensland government’s commitment to significantly reduce landfill and increase recycling by 2050, now is the time to start planning for an environmentally sustainable future.

Developing sustainable water resource plans is another area local governments are focusing on to ensure the future liveability of communities and align with the Queensland government’s water planning framework.

Local Buy’s LB312 Engineering & Environmental Consultancy Services Arrangement is established to assist councils to source prequalified suppliers in a cost-effective way and helps streamline the procurement process. This Arrangement is available to all Queensland councils and has over 500 prequalified suppliers ready to provide quotes for projects.

This Arrangement contains 20 separate categories of Engineering & Environmental Consultancy Services, including categories for:

• Civil, Structural and Geotechnical Engineering (incl. design of water storage infrastructure)
• Water Supply and Sewerage Engineering (incl. design for storage, control, treatment and distribution systems) 
• Waste Disposal and Recycling Consultancy (incl. Waste management & transfer, Recycling, Resource Recovery, Hazardous waste disposal, Landfill, and Landfill gas)
• Renewable Energy (Renewable energy systems, Energy from waste, Storage technologies)
• Air Quality (pollution and air quality assessments)
• Hazardous Materials/Hygiene (Asbestos testing/inspections/certificates, site investigation and evaluation, control and exposure monitoring)
• Natural Resources (Contaminated land, Site assessment and remediation)
• Water Resources (Water Quality, Waterway and Catchment Management, Riparian zones, Groundwater).

Since November 2017, the Engineering and Environmental Consultancy Arrangement has been utilised by most Queensland Councils for over 3,000 consultancy engagements including a wide range of landfill, river & flood control, water and sewerage applications. 

The Queensland Audit Office Local Government 2021 (Report 15:2021-22, p.15) outlines the local government sector spends approximately $8B in procuring goods and services each year. It’s important to note the “common weaknesses” outlined in the report, such as not obtaining sufficient tenders/quotes for the purchase of goods and services and entering into an agreement with a supplier prior to securing goods. Using a Local Buy Arrangement improves councils’ procurement process by using the platform to access pre-qualified suppliers that have been through the rigorous approval process and a pre-approved contract agreement.

If you would like to learn more about these arrangements, get in touch with Pat McCormack, Category Manager & Partners via email pmccormack@localbuy.net.au.