From next month Opus will undertake a three year contract to deliver Thames Coromandel District Council's roading maintenance, renewal and capital works programmes.

The contract is for a three year term, with the option of two further one year extensions of contract, and commences from November 1.

TCDC and Opus have enjoyed a successful relationship in the past and past projects include the repairs to the Ongohi Bridge earlier this year. Photo: File.

Roading Manager and Tender Evaluation Team member Matt Busch congratulates Opus on their successful tender.

'The results of the tender gave us confidence that Opus is the best long term partner for our Roading activity, which is one of Council's essential services, and a significant annual spend.”

Matt says the TCDC employs a team that manages consultants and contractors who carry out physical work on its behalf.

To help council increase its in-house ability to work with communities they are also recruiting an additional Roading Engineer to work alongside Matt and current Roading Engineer Sam Edlin.

'The way we crafted our new contract also allowed us to build in a more collaborative way of working with our communities, especially with specialist design of complex work.

'This was reflected in the two-phase tendering process we advertised through Local Government Online's Tenderlink and worked with Morrison Low to evaluate.

Matt says in addition to price, attention was given to health and safety, insurance, relevant experience, track record, management skills, technical skills and methodology.

An extra reason for the change of approach to this contract is the prospect of asset management assistance being available to individual councils on a regional basis, through the Waikato Road Asset Technical Accord (RATA).

'This gives us an improved and more consistent approach to road asset management across the greater region.

'Therefore, this also requires our contractor to be flexible in the way it works with us, since the scope of services may change as a result of this greater collaboration across the Waikato.

To read the full report to Council click here.