Council connects with local contractors

Published on 24 July 2019

Over 100 local contractors and business operators attended this morning’s breakfast forum to connect with Council, learn about upcoming opportunities and how to get involved.

Contractors arrived bright and early at the Goods Shed in Warragul for a free barbecue breakfast and the opportunity to meet with Council staff and project managers to discuss upcoming infrastructure projects, their indicative timeframes and the way Council are intending to procure the works.

Key Council departments including procurement, infrastructure delivery, recreation, road maintenance and infrastructure maintenance were on hand to advise and discuss upcoming projects and opportunities for roads, footpaths, concreting, buildings, recreation and open spaces.

The forum was well-attended with contractors specialising in a range of fields including construction, asphalting, earthmoving, property services, civil engineering, building, consulting, electrical, concreting, trenching and drainage.

Baw Baw Shire Council’s adopted 2019/20 Budget includes $29.6 million for new Capital Works projects to address key priorities identified by residents – including $11 million for road works, a $6.7 million building program, $3.8 million for recreation and open spaces and a $1.3 million investment in new footpaths and footpath renewal.

This contractor breakfast forum builds on Council’s ongoing commitment to engaging and supporting local businesses and agencies. Other successful collaborative events held earlier this year include the recent Builders Forum in May and Development Forum in June.

To view details of this year’s full Capital Works Program and other major infrastructure projects please visit Council’s Capital Works Program webpage.

“It was great to see such a strong turn out from local contractors interested in working with Council. We were able to catch up with existing contractors, meet new ones and have productive discussions about how to best work together into the future. The breakfast was a great opportunity to provide clarity on procurement and application processes - so we hope local businesses were able to get a lot out of it.”

“There was a nice buzz in the room with plenty of conversation and information sharing. Baw Baw has so many reputable, high-quality local businesses and we want to encourage them to bid for Council projects. We want to continue to grow local employment opportunities and a strong local economy – all while delivering new and upgraded infrastructure for our community. We thank everyone for coming along, and a big shout out to the Warragul Lions Club for putting on a warm brekky for us all.”

Image: Council staff and local contractors sharing information at today's collaborative forum.

Image: Council staff and local contractors sharing information at today's collaborative forum.

Image: Council staff and local contractors sharing information at today's collaborative forum.

Image: Council staff and local contractors sharing information at today's collaborative forum. 

Image: Warragul Lions Club putting on a barbecue breakfast for local contractors.

Image: Council staff and local contractors sharing information at today's collaborative forum.

Image: Council staff and local contractors sharing information at today's collaborative forum.