Firm ‘discarded’ as contract sent offshore
A maintenance contract worth tens of millions of dollars has been sent offshore by Auckland Council, despite being held by the same North Shore firm for 23 years.
Recreational Services has maintained the North Shore’s parks, sporting fields and berms, in some capacity, since 1994.
The have a history of employing disabled workers, and have often subsidised maintenance work for North Shore community groups.
But, as part of an initiative called Project 17, Auckland Council has decided to amalgamate its open space maintenance contracts with its community facilities contracts across the city.
The same company that cuts the grass on a sports field will now also be cleaning the toilets and providing security.
Recreational Services, which had the Shore’s open spaces contract, was unsuccessful in its application for this new expanded North Shore contract, and on June 30 it will be taken over by Australian company Ventia.
Auckland Council head of contracts management Heidi Walkley says Recreational Services was unsuccessful because it could only perform a portion of the work the new contract includes.
‘‘We are doing things quite differently, we’re combining some areas of our business that have never been combined before to ensure that there are efficiencies,’’ Walkley said.
However, many North Shore politicians are unhappy about the decision to remove a local business from the contract, after providing decades of good service.
‘‘People who use the reserves will be astounded that Recreational Services have been discarded for some unknown Australian company,’’ DevonportTakapuna Local Board deputy chair George Wood said.
‘‘I’m sure there will be redundancies and that’s very regrettable because these guys have done a good job and so much for the community. They sponsor a lot of clubs and they’ve got a very good employment record looking after their staff and paying decent wages,’’ Kaipatiki Local Board member Ann Hartley said.
Recreational Services general manager Cameron Parr said it was a ‘‘privilege’’ to care for the North Shore’s parks for 23 years and they are sad to go ‘‘because it’s our home’’.
Yet, Auckland Council’s general manager of community facilities Rod Sheridan stressed Australian company Ventia would be recruiting staff from the North Shore local board areas.
No consideration was given to whether an applying firm was New Zealand owned.