Local Buy Procurement delivering for councils

Lockyer Valley and Somerset Water Collaborative Case Study

Water Collaborative Project (Collaborative): The “Water for Lockyer” project is focused on delivering long term water for the Lockyer and Somerset regions by securing additional water for farming, business, industry and tourism. Lockyer and Somerset are two of the most important food bowl areas in Australia, accounting for 28 per cent of Queensland’s total horticultural production, and supplying most of Australia’s vegetables during the winter months.

Agricultural production from these regions is valued over $469 million per year (2016–17).

The Collaborative members include Lockyer Valley Regional Council (LVRC), Somerset Regional Council, Lockyer Water Users Forum, Queensland Urban Utilities, Lockyer Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Lockyer Valley Growers Inc. To date, they have secured $1.4M in funding from the Dept of State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning, for the development of a Detailed Business Case and Design.

Local Buy Procurement: In August 2019, Lockyer Valley Regional Council, on behalf of the Collaborative, approached Local Buy Procurement, to manage the high profile procurement process for the appointment of a Consultancy group to deliver the Detailed Business Case and Design for the Water for Lockyer Project.

To satisfy the requirements of the Local Government Regulations 2012, a detailed procurement process was undertaken, inviting responses from four major Australian consultancies (with expertise and background knowledge of the Project), under Local Buy’s Engineering and Environmental Consultancy Services BUS: 262-0317.

Local Buy Procurement assisted council in facilitating the end to end procurement process,  including the detailed evaluation process, which involved developing the critical evaluation methodology, and weighting matrix. Strict probity and governance requirements were applied to the end-to-end procurement process.

A Recommendation Report has been finalised by Local Buy Procurement, and the approval process has formally commenced. This is a complex pathway requiring individual approval from each of the following parties:

• Lockyer Valley Regional Council Chief Executive Officer;
• Lockyer Valley Regional Council Mayor and Somerset Regional Council Mayor; and
• Individual Water Collaborative Members.

Outcome: Appointment of the successful Consultant is due February 2020, before the commencement of Caretaker Period.

Local Buy Procurement Fast Facts:

1. The end-to-end procurement process, eight weeks.
2. Rigorous commercial practices and procurement process.
3. Strict probity and governance observed.
4. Ease of use - Local Buy Arrangement BUS: 262-0317 Engineering and Environmental Consultancy Services.