Opotiki District Council have narrowed it down to two companies who will design and construct the new harbour for the district.

Following an extra-ordinary meeting earlier this week it was announced the final two applicants entering the competitive design and construction phase for the Opotiki Harbour.

Selection for contractors to build the new harbour has been narrowed down to two. File photo.

Groupings headed by Brian Perry Civil and HEB Construction have been invited to continue to the next stage of the process before a final design and construction contract could be signed with the successful party in 2017.

John Galbraith, project manager for the Opotiki Harbour Transformation Project, says there have been a lot of interest from across the industry and a number of high calibre applications and it is a credit to the two successful partnerships to get to this point.

'It's a robust process that moves from Statements of Interest and Ability into this competitive process where the two construction and design companies submit their best design and build plans.

'At the end of the process, the best option from the two applicants will be chosen and work can proceed when all the final hurdles are cleared.”

The decision of the Council is endorsed by the Harbour Project Board, the partnership of Opotiki District Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Whakatohea and central government agencies provide oversight of the Project.

Opotiki Mayor John Forbes says all the different agencies have worked together to ensure they found the right applicants to take this next important step for the Opotiki community.

'The evaluation criteria were very thorough and we were up front with the applicants during the early stages of the SIA. That an important criteria for selecting our shortlist candidates was their ability to deliver on the wider value the harbour project will bring to the local community.”

A collaborative process will take place over the next few months. Tenderers will be asked to submit their best design and cost for evaluation. A final decision on the tenderer for the harbour construction will be made some time in the first half of next year.

The design, construction plan and associated costings will come out of this process to go to central Government next year for consideration.