Wagga City Council is sticking to an April launch date for its new organic waste service, despite having only just called for tenders for a key part of the process.
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This latest attempt to find a processor will give the council the option of appointing a short-term contractor for two years while a more permanent business is established.
The council is offering the lease of up to five hectares of land at the Gregadoo Waste Management Facility as part of the tender.
Council’s director commercial operations Caroline Angel said she was hoping to have prospective contractors before the March council meeting.
The council last year awarded a contract for the kerbside collection of the waste, but has yet to find a contractor to carry out the actual recycling of food organics and gardens organics (FOGO), which currently goes to landfill.
Last year, the council accepted a tender for a minimum seven-year kerbside waste collection contract, which was awarded to waste collection provider JJ Richards and Sons Pty Ltd.
Two tenders were received for the processing of the FOGO material – “one conforming and one non-conforming tender”, Ms Angel said.
Council initially decided to negotiate with the “conforming” processor, but in September resolved to start the tender process again, with $78,000 allocated in December for this.
“The previous tender that went out last year had a poor response from industry,” Ms Angel said.
“We consulted with industry and determined there were some options that needed to be put into the tender, and the intention is to make sure we have a competitive market, and that enables the best possible service for the community.
“The contract tender allows for options that we will be able to have a service in place for April 2 and then there is also the option within the tender to allow the processor to construct a facility. We are very confident that with the work that was done during the development of the documentation and the consultation with industry that we have put forward a good tender that allows options for industry to respond.”