3-Waters Contract offered to Local Contractors
Local contractors are enthusiastic about a move by the Tararua District Council to provide local contractors the opportunity to secure business for the future through its approved service provider initiative. The contractors will be registered to carry out work previously undertaken by the Tararua Alliance and all welcome the move.
In May council asked for local contractors to register their interest in becoming a council approved service provider for the 3-waters (wastewater, stormwater and drinking water) service connection work which had previously been provided by the Tararua Alliance.
This is the first time the 3-waters work has been open to external contractors, but the Tararua Alliance will continue to make the connections to all public water mains in the interests of public health.
Having external contractors carry out the 3-waters work allows the Tararua Alliance to concentrate on its core business and infrastructure, while giving local contractors security.
"Offering work to local contractors is a good way of keeping money and business in our community and it keeps local people working and we like to work in with council where we can," Brent Howell of Dannevirke said.
At an induction session at Tararua Alliance, Gerry Hoyle of Pahiatua said it was good to have a process in place. "We've been asked to do this for some time," he said.
Bruce Hunt of Dannevirke said he thought the initiative was "absolutely fantastic."
"Keeping this work with local contractors in the district is very important," he said. "This is another string to our bow because no-one knows what is going to happen in the economy, post Covid-19."
Raj Suppiah, council's Chief Financial Officer, said the objective behind shifting to an externally provided service is to have multiple approved contractors for this work.
"We want to provide the community with options when they are looking to request a water service connection," he said.
"Beyond this, now more than ever, it is important to provide future opportunities for contractors s particularly locally."