TENDER CONSIDERATION PLAN - COMMUNITY BATTERY (Referred from P&E 6 June 2023) · Report - Tender Consideration Community Battery

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                              12 JUNE 2023


   B. Delegate authority to the Chief Executive Officer to:
           i.   Prepare and adopt the Tender Consideration plan;
           ii. Approve the negotiation and enter into contracts, within the Chief Executive Officer’s
               financial delegation, in order to achieve the objectives of the Tender Consideration
               Plan.


REPORT
BACKGROUND
Noosa Council Environment Strategy 2019 and Climate Change Response Plan sets an ambitious
target for the Noosa Council and Community to achieve net zero emissions by 2026. Around 58% of
Noosa LGA emissions comprise stationary electricity. Noosa has over 83.3MW of rooftop solar
installed in residential and business premises across the Shire.

The Australian’s Government Community Batteries for Household Solar grant program enables
excess solar generated during the day to be stored in a community battery for use during peak times.
Noosaville was identified as an eligible location in Stream 1 of this program to be allocated funding
for the installation of a community battery.

The grant application required the applicant to identify the technology and the project implementation
partners for this battery. Following considerable research into community battery implementation
and operating models for community benefit and emission reduction, Council identified YEF, a Not
for Profit organisation, as an appropriate partner in its application for the funding, largely in
recognition of their expertise in the implementation of batteries for the primary purpose of community
benefit and emissions reduction. This includes YEF having successfully installed, and is currently
operating, the only community 'in front of the meter' battery in North Fitzroy Victoria.

The grant application also required community engagement to be undertaken to involve the local
community in understanding the need for the battery, its operations and any risks associated with
the location of the battery in the local area. ZEN Inc had undertaken considerable work to identify
potential locations in Noosaville and commenced community consultation with residents throughout
the Shire. Therefore, it was logical for Council to partner with ZEN Inc for the battery application to
utilise ZEN Inc expertise in community consultation and site selection.

Noosa Council was recently advised they were successful in their application for the Federal
Government’s Community Batteries for Household Solar - Delivery of Election Commitments Stream
1, and, subject to the acceptance of the grant agreement, will be awarded $500,000 for the
completion of the installation of a community battery in Noosaville. A procurement strategy has been
developed in partnership with Council’s Procurement Team to utilise proven experience and
expertise in the establishment of the community battery in Noosaville and to provide value for money
for the grant funding.

PROCUREMENT PROCESS

Due to the complexity of the project, Council identified a need to engage with expertise for both the
grant application and the subsequent delivery of the community battery to the community. As such,
and in accordance with Section 230 of the Local Government Regulation 2012, a Tender
Consideration Plan (draft attached- Attachment 1) was considered the most appropriate method of
procurement as it covers a range of key elements and considerations of the procurement.
Subsequently, in accordance with the Section 230 (2) of the Regulation the draft Tender
Consideration Plan (TCP) addresses the following:
   1. The objectives of the Plan
   2. How the objectives are to be achieved