2019-08-12 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                12 AUGUST 2019


4.   Experience with the Park Road Boardwalk project

The Park Road Boardwalk project was delivered in 2018. This involved the design and
construction of a replacement section of boardwalk between Park Road and Noosa National Park
carpark. This project involved a number of uncertain elements, especially with the design and
construction methodologies, and was initially offered to the market as a Public Tender. However,
this process did not lead to a successful outcome as a suitable contractor could not be identified.
The tender process was discontinued and the project subsequently went through an EOI process
to better understand what the market was capable of delivering. This was ultimately successful
as the process allowed a greater degree of information to develop for Council around value-for-
money, competition and capacity/capability considerations. However, there were significant
initial delays to the schedule as a consequence.

The playground project is similar in that there remains a level of uncertainty over the capability
and competiveness of the market to deliver a complex piece of infrastructure. An EOI process,
proven to work with Park Road, is similarly considered the best option for engaging with the
market for this project.

5.   Other Procurement Activities related to the project

It should be noted there are a number of project-related activities under the current budget, some
of which can be delivered as early works, that staff believe are best-served by procuring
separately and through other means. These include:

   Carparking and Pedestrian Safety Improvements:
     These elements have been designed and documented by Council internally, and are
     considered a separate package of works to the playground from a delivery perspective as
     they are outside the playground site, low-risk and well-understood as to their design and
     construction requirements. A standard Public Tender process is considered the best way
     to construct these works.

   Mature Trees and Plants:
     Intrinsic in the playground design is extensive landscaping, including a selection of young
     and mature trees and a high number of plants of different species types and growth
     rates/ages. These can have long lead-times to procure, and have therefore been identified
     as a potential separate package of works for early procurement. A Public Tender process
     or Panel arrangement is best-suited to procuring these items.

   Artisanal Elements:
     The current design for the playground offers an opportunity to include a number of artisanal
     items, from single art pieces to unique artistic elements integrated into the landscaping.
     While this is still being developed conceptually, initial indications are a separate EOI
     process would best serve identifying and commissioning suitable local artists for this.




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