Dannevirke: Grounds contracts up for grabs

The contracts are for grounds maintenance at Woodville, Eketahuna, Pahiatua and Dannevirke and mowing sports fields district-wide. Photo / Tamara Jones

Contracts previously held by Infracon have been put up for tender by the Tararua District Council.

The council is calling for tenders for grounds maintenance throughout the Tararua, with council's asset group manager, Kathy Dever-Tod, telling the Dannevirke News these were all previously undertaken by Infracon staff.

"These are different to our current maintenance contract with Infracon and will be town-based, providing opportunities for locals to be involved," she said.

Just hours after the tenders were made public there had been four registrations of interest, Ms Dever-Tod said.

"These are not big companies and one of them is locally based," she said. "I know one of those is already talking to Infracon staff. And they would be foolish to go past those Infracon staff who are already doing the job."

Since Infracon was placed into liquidation by its shareholders, Tararua District Council and Central Hawke's Bay District Council, the staff working on grounds maintenance have been placed on a liquidator's contract.

"One of the downsides of the Infracon contract was that staff undertaking specialist jobs such as gardening had to travel from Dannevirke to Pahiatua to carry out the same work there," Ms Dever-Tod said.

"Potentially there could be a cost saving (under the new tenders), but because we've been with Infracon for a while, we haven't been to the market for so long, it's difficult to tell at this stage.

The contracts are for grounds maintenance at Woodville, Eketahuna, Pahiatua and Dannevirke and mowing sports fields district-wide.

They include grass and garden maintenance, refuse bin collection and playground servicing on parks and other council properties.

The council said it was seeking contractors who will deliver locally-based, cost-effective services within each township.