Council seeks contractors for massive road repairs in Tairāwhiti

A dropout 12 kilometres up Waimatā Valley Road and extending down to the river is one of the complex dropout sites across Tairāwhiti requiring remediation.

Gisborne District Council is calling for tenders in a different way for the huge amount of work planned for local roads over the next three years.

A Request For Proposal has gone live on the Government Electronic Tenders System (Gets).

“We need as many contractors as possible across the region who are willing to work together, and with the council, to fix 340 slip and dropout sites across Tairāwhiti,” GDC’s Journeys operations manager Libby Young said.

“This amount of work is too much for just a few contractors, so it’s important as many contractors (as possible) see that tenders are now being called for.

“If you have the experience and capacity, then we want to hear from you by September 13.

“Collectively, rather than individually, we can build greater resilience to be ready for natural hazard or weather events in the future.”

The mammoth amount of work scheduled dates back to February 2023 when Cyclone Gabrielle caused extensive damage to bridges and roads across Tairāwhiti.

A further rain event in June 2023 worsened the situation.

“Urgent repairs have made the roads safe and accessible,” Young said. “Now council needs to address these approximately 340 slip and dropout sites categorised as either non-complex or complex works.

“Due to the varied complexity and large number of sites, we’ll need multiple local contractors.

“We seek contractors with the capability and resources to safely deliver slip and dropout remediation works within our timelines and budget.

“We aim to form a collaborative team that shares knowledge and best practices to enhance regional resilience.

“While local contractors are preferred, we welcome proposals from out-of-region contractors who can meet our requirements and deploy to Tairāwhiti.”

Any questions must be asked by 5pm on Wednesday, September 4.

The deadline for submitting a proposal is 5pm on Friday, September 13.

All contact and proposals must go through the Gets.