A report outlining the engagement outcomes for the revised Procurement and Contracts Policy was presented to Council at the meeting on Tuesday 13 December 2022. The Policy was adopted by Council.

View the Council Minutes (Item 9.3, page 10).

You can read the adopted document in full from the button below.

Between 21 October and 20 November 2022, we exhibited the amended Procurement and Contracts Policy. We received two submissions - thank you for your feedback.

We incorporated your feedback and updated the final Policy document. This was reported to Council at the meeting on Tuesday 13 December 2022 recommending that Council note the consultation outcomes and adopt the policy.

View the Council Report (Item 9.3, page 22) that includes the community engagement report.

We reviewed the current Procurement Policy and took the opportunity to make several changes to the policy. The revised Procurement and Contracts Policy (the Policy) was prepared for public exhibition.

The changes are intended to strengthen the Policy, encompass legislative changes and incorporate recent modern slavery requirements.

The revised Policy provides the structure and direction to ensure that goods, services and works procured by Council are the result of transparent, objective, and time/cost effective decision making. It provides an overview of the principles that must be followed by all Council officers and representatives when undertaking the procurement of goods, services and works, and in managing associated contracts.

The key changes are:

• Renaming the policy from Procurement Policy to Procurement and Contracts Policy
• Enhancing the policy principle relating to a Robust Procurement Framework by using the Plan, Source, Manage approach
• Strengthening the policy principle of Environmental Sustainability
• The inclusion of a principle for Modern Slavery and Ethical Sourcing
• The inclusion of a principle for Emergencies
• The addition of separate principles for: Accountability, Risk Analysis and Management, Record Keeping, Purchase Orders and Expenditure Thresholds.

The Policy supports the delivery of Council’s Community Strategic Plan and embraces Council’s responsibility for sustainable procurement to contribute to ensuring the environmental, social and economic sustainability of our community at a local and broader level. Consistent application of the Policy will also ensure compliance with the tendering requirements under section 55 of the Local Government Act 1993 (NSW) and the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021 (NSW).