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00:00:00 Mayor Stewart: 0808100081. Noosa, we'll go straight to your item number one. We'll go straight into item number one. No. We have project director, director Larry Sengstock. So, thank you. And director, there is a confidential attachment. So, if there's any questions about confidential attachment, any items, any questions about confidential attachment or any item of potential that we have a confidential place of James. So, we have . Sure, sure. Speaker 4: As already mentioned by the mayor, we're here today to look at awarding the contract for Middle Creek Road reconstruction. So, it's a schedule of rates contract, which means we've gone out to the market with a list of items and pricing, which allows us to work with the schedule with the contractor. In accordance with our procurement policy, we've gone out to an ITQ. We received eight responses from six suppliers.
00:01:00 An evaluation panel was put together and they've done an evaluation process, assessed the tenders, sought feedback on tenders and are recommending Durac Civil Pty Ltd as the most advantageous contract for council. And that's based on value for money. The anticipated construction completion date is April 2023. With an approximate start date in January, February 2023. The project's funded by LRCI Infrastructure, which is Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Grant. Speaker 2: We're recommending that we adopt But that's the intent, is we want to make it safe now. We've heard the community, communities very much telling us it's not safe or they're not happy with it. And we want to make sure it's safe for this period of time. While we're doing the repairs further up the road.
00:02:00 Mayor Stewart: I'm going to ask some questions. Page six of our agenda. I just have some questions about the how and who is funding. And we'll talk about the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Phase 3 Fund. If you could just talk us through that. And also, just in, we hear every day about rising prices, labour costs, delays. And both of those are addressed here. On page six, material price increases, as well as delays due to wet weather. So I'm just wondering, about page six, if you could address those three items. So the first one is the funding, what our contribution is, if any, and talk about the Phase 3 Fund, as well as the mitigation of material price increases and the delays, the wet weather. Because it does say it's a medium to high chance. Yes. Thank you. Speaker 4: Through the Chair. The funding is 100% LRCI, which is the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Funding,
00:03:00 Phase 3. So it's 100% funded through that infrastructure program. So by engaging the contract on a schedule of rates, we're able to adjust the scope of works and lock in rates for the works. So if there are price increases, we've actually locked those rates in early. So that's part of the strategy for going out with the schedule of rates. And then we can work with the material, the rates, and the length of work that we have to adjust to suit the budget. So that's a way of mitigating overruns on the budget. And also, we have our PRG and our CWE, which we can bring reports back and make decisions around scope, contract, and variability within that contract. Okay. And also, there won't be rise in force considered because we've locked those rates in at the initial start of the contract, as I've mentioned earlier.
00:04:00 Yeah. Thank you. Councillor Finzel: Thank you. Mayor Stewart: Thank you. Councillor Finzel: Great. Thank you. Yeah. I have some questions. Thank you for the report. I just want to refer to page 7 of the report, and I'm interested in a response around the mitigation with the disruption to the traffic and pedestrian, and the length of the time that you anticipate, given we've got a community out there already, you know, suffering with a lot of trauma post the incident out there with the weather event. I think it's really important that we can clarify exactly how that will be managed. Thank you. Speaker 4: Sure. So, as mentioned earlier, we've mentioned that it's anticipated to start the works in either late January or early February, with an anticipated date of around April 2023. That is subject to wet weather. Councillor Wilkie: Mm-hmm. Speaker 4: So, as part of the traffic management plan, we're endeavouring to keep it open to one lane at all times, and there will be delays. We're anticipating we need to work with the contractor
00:05:00 and get their TMP, which is their traffic management plan, but we're anticipating that there will be some type of traffic signals, which will have delays, but we'll endeavour to minimise those delays and have one lane open at all times. Did I explain that okay? Councillor Finzel: Yeah. Speaker 4: Yeah. Thank you. Councillor Finzel: Thank you. Just to follow up in that, around the communication of the issues and how we're going to be communicating with the community, given we've already got issues around open and transparent communication, let's mitigate those risks as best as we can to our ability. How are you proposing we do that? Speaker 4: Sure. Sure. Thank you. Thank you. So, we have a community engagement plan, which, once we have the TMPs, which I've mentioned earlier from the contractor, so that's their traffic management plan, and they would have a program of works, how they're going to carry out the works. So, once we get that information, we can prepare project users, which we will distribute out to the community,
00:06:00 throughout that process. We'll have project officers available, like we do with all our projects, and they'll be able to contact us through that. And we'll do regular updates throughout the project with project users. Also, the contractor, again, we'll have to work with the contractor, but they would have contact people as well, the day-to-day management and minor access issues throughout the project. Councillor Finzel: Thank you. And following up from that, I guess this is through the Chair, is a question to the CEO. Given we're looking at, you know, different communication methods out with the community living out that way, given the Middle Creek landslide, and the feedback we've had about the project news, are we going to integrate this communication into other communication around that community? Speaker 3: Through the Mayor and in response, Councillor Finzel, I think there's great opportunity for us
00:07:00 to be able to have our community recovery officer, that commenced earlier this week. They'll be working very closely with the Black Mountain community. Project news, though, is the most appropriate mechanism when talking about individual capital projects. It's very clear the team do the best that they can to be able to revise what the anticipated issues and impact are going to be. But there'll be so much work that'll be undertaken on Black Mountain and Middle Creek Road over the coming months or past April, once we get through the wet season. We do anticipate this work will start at that period of time as well too. It'll be busy. That point of contact is going to be very, very important for us. So having Taya as our community recovery officer will be there. The team are working closely already with Black Mountain. Our infrastructure team are managing the delivery of that flood damage work as well. So having all of that combined together, that will be helpful. And I know this creek that's being undertaken in Middle Creek Road will be very much welcomed
00:08:00 by the Black Mountain community. Yeah, absolutely. Councillor Finzel: Thank you, Scott. Councillor Lorentson: Having just recently attended the Black Mountain Landslip Forum over the weekend, can I make a request that we also ask the residents of Black Mountain how they would like to be engaged rather than us telling them how we are going to be engaged and engaging with them. I think that was a very loud message at the meeting and I would like to, in good faith, let them know that we would like their viewpoint on how they would like us to engage with them. Speaker 3: Thank you. Through the Mayor, Councillor Lorentson, absolutely noted. And yeah, what a great way to put that forward to us is that as council officers, we'll ask the community how they would like to understand this project. We have our normal methods and tactics that we utilise to inform our community and engage, but there's extraordinary circumstances
00:09:00 that we're dealing with in Black Mountain at the moment. So I know that the team will be taking that on board and we'll put that forward as this project starts to progress along with the recovery work that we're undertaking with QRA. Thank you. Councillor Wilkie: Happy to move it. Happy to second. Mayor Stewart: Thank you. Councillor Wilkie: Thank you, Mayor. Thank you for the report. This will deliver 2.1 kilometres of improved road, widening of six metres, a wide line along its length and the centre of its length to make it safer. Also, improved safety signage on curves and potentially hazarded hill crests and improved drainage. It will be welcomed, as I said, by the Black Mountain community. This is part of their detour and also the rest of the community and residents of Federal. Thank you. Mayor Stewart: Thanks. Anyone else want to speak to this? Councillor? Councillor Wegener: This has been a long time coming. I know that the previous Mayor and lots of previous Councillors were pushing for this. So hallelujah.
00:10:00 Thank you for getting it through. Driving out there, driving down that road, there's not one road that needs more love, deserves more love than that particular road and Federal truly deserves a bit of love as well. So congratulations and finally this is taking place. It's great work. I'm really proud of this. Thank you. Councillor Finzel: Thank you. Councillor Lorentson: I have a question. So Council invited quotes on a schedule of rates basis. So my question is, given the blow ups with Noosa Parade, et cetera, have we, are we confident that, you know, the quote is close by plus or minus 10, 20%? And if not, how are we going to mitigate a blow up? And where are we going to get that money from? Speaker 4: Through the Mayor, as mentioned earlier, the schedule of rates is where we lock in prices for different materials and those materials
00:11:00 are used to construct the project. So that allows us to actually adjust say the extensor works and work within the budget. So we'll be able to engage the contractor to target high priority areas and manage that budget through a process of adjusting the scope to fit the budget. And also mentioned earlier around the PCG and the CWE. So we can use that group to make decisions throughout the project to adjust and extend or change parts of the scope. Okay. Councillor Lorentson: Thank you. Mayor Stewart: I will quickly, we'll be moving on to some really good news for our Queensland residents. It's a much needed piece of infrastructure as Councillor Wegener alluded to. And just want to thank everyone involved, Craig, Larry, all the team. I know that the procurement panels spent a lot of time working on this and a lot of submissions to go through. So I'm looking forward to getting this piece
00:12:00 of work done and quickly and fingers crossed the weather prevails. And we have some fine weather. Thank you. Just close? Nothing. All right. I'll put it to a vote. All in favour? Announce. Thank you, Craig. Thank you, Larry. Thank you. Speaker 2: Thank you. Mayor Stewart: Item two on the agenda is the new supporters lock and be a renewal tender award. In accordance with Chapter 5B of the Local Government Act 2009, I inform the meeting that I have declared a conflict of interest in this matter in relation to the tender award of contract T000081 for the design and construction of refurbishment of works to the Noosa Waters lock and weir system that are no resident Noosa Waters contribute to the levy and regularly utilise Noosa Waters lock and weir system. As a result of my conflict of interest, I'll now leave the meeting room while the matter is considered and voted on. Thank you, Council. Thank you, Mayor.
00:13:00 Councillor Wilkie: Hello again, Larry and Craig. May we have an overview of the project, please? Sure. Speaker 4: Through the Chair. The Noosa Waters lock and weir system was built when the Noosa Waters estate was established and it was gifted to Council and commissioned in 1991. A condition report assessment was carried out in 2020 which identified extensive renewal works that were required and replacement of some critical items to allow the lock and weir to function and achieve the asset life that it was designed for. So Council Council went out to the market to look and seek prices to engage a contractor to carry out these works and invited tenders through the vendor panel in July 2022. And Council
00:14:00 received one tender response and this was considered and assessed as suitable by the panel, the procurement panel. The price submitted exceeds the current budget allocated. However, cost increases have been deemed reasonable when measured against the market price. So we've seen large increases in supply of steel and also we're seeing problems with supply chains. An independent cost report was commissioned in April this year and that that price tender price has been assessed against that independent report. The cost to undertake the necessary scope of works will be funded by the Noosa Waters residents levy and the levy will be adjusted to suit that increase in price. And the recommendation is that Council adopts the preferred
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00:15:00 contractor Kelly Bourke Proprietary Limited and award the contract for the upgrade of the lock and wheel. Councillor Wilkie: So just to clarify, Craig, the costs of this project will not be borne by the general rate payer. It will be covered by the levy paid by Noosa Waters waterfront rate payers. Speaker 4: Through the Chair, yes, there's a levy in place and that's funded by the residents who live on the canal estate and this renewal project is 100% funded out of that levy and that levy will be adjusted to accommodate any increase in price. Councillor Wilkie: I understand we've got a certain amount of money in the levy reserve at the moment. Could you explain how the costs are going to be covered in the meantime? Could you tell us a bit about the discussions had with the Noosa Waters Residents Association so far?
00:16:00 Speaker 2: Yes, certainly. So as Craig mentioned, it's an existing levy so we've got the ability to, as Council, to adjust that levy to meet the needs. There is money in the current levy budget but not enough to cover this work. We've brought this forward, as you say, we've had the report done in 2020 that this work needs to be done but the prices are just continuing to go up. So that's why we're pushing this forward now to get in while the prices are still at a reasonable level I guess. So that's the intent of this is to get this work done or at least buy some of this equipment before the prices continue to rise. So there is existing money in the budget but the additional amount of money that needs to be, it's about $800,000 that's required to do this and if we don't do the work the lock and wheel could fail. So that's the issue we're dealing with. So everyone understands that. We have had meetings with the, Craig has been to the ATM and had some
00:17:00 discussions there and then we've also had the committee or a number of the committee come and speak with Brian O'Connor and myself about this and talk through the levy. We've provided them a letter. The additional cost over 10 years to repay it and we would take out the initial loan or we would pay for the works and then recover that through the levy as council. The initial cost over a 10 year period is about $97 a year additional to the $150 that they currently pay. So it's $97 a year over 10 years. If they wanted to make it over 20 years we could do that and obviously that would bring Speaker 3: the premium down Speaker 2: over that period. And our understanding is that the committee thinks that that's a reasonable ask or a reasonable position to take but again we need to go through this process first and then we go back and lock down the actual additional cost.
00:18:00 Questions councillors? Councillor Lorentson: The lock and wear system was first commissioned in 1991 and a condition assessment report undertaken in 2020. Was there anything done in between? Speaker 4: Thank you. Through the chair yes there's been condition inspections carried out through that period of time. And there's been maintenance works carried out between that period of time. And it reached the point where it needed some major interventions which caused or triggered that condition assessment. But between the period when it was first commissioned and that time it was really just operational maintenance carried out. Councillor Lorentson: In terms of disruptions and impact how long is the works envisaged to take? Speaker 2: Can you be the bearer of bad news? Speaker 4: So my understanding the key part
00:19:00 initially is to have the gates and the actual machinery ordered from overseas. So there's a long lead time of approximately about seven months. And we're trying to lock that pricing in because it does contain a lot of steel work which as we all know is going up and down. So that's the first crucial part. Then once those parts and machinery arrive then there'll be a process of installing some large gates to allow the lock to be actually pumped out and then the actual works can happen. So there will be a closure and my understanding is about approximately four months, three to four months. A closure where the residents and the users of the lock and wheel will have to make other arrangements. Speaker 2: Wow, okay. Obviously we'll try to minimise that but that's our, you know. That's what we get like. Yep. Councillor Finzel: Karen. Yeah, thank you. I just have a question about the environmental impacts. There was something in the report about how someone's coming in
00:20:00 to remove the fish or the aquatic species and can you talk to us a little bit about how that's going to work? Speaker 4: Sure, thank you. So as mentioned earlier there's some large gates that need to be installed into the actual lock arrangement and what that effectively does is I suppose you'd say create a container and then that allows that to be pumped out and allows the works to be carried out. However, if there were any sort of marine life or or within that area they would need to be carefully removed and put back into their natural environment and that process I assume would involve some type of diver arrangement to remove those fishing species. Councillor Lorentson: Thank you. Councillor Wilkie: Thank you. That's it. Councilors we have a motion before us. Anyone can move it. Councillor Lorentson: I'm happy to Councillor Wilkie: Councilor Lawrence. Councillor Finzel: I'm happy to Councillor Wilkie: second. Seconded by Councilor Finzel. Councilor Lawrence
00:21:00 would you like to speak to the motion? Councillor Lorentson: No the report is very detailed and explains that you know this is no choice it needs to be done. That's right. The sooner the better and the four month disruption I hope it's only four months is really a small price to pay to have a functioning lock and weir. Speaker 1: Okay. Councillor Wilkie: Any other Councilors wish to speak? Wish to close? No. Put the motion those in favour. That's unanimous. Thank you Craig. Thank you Larry. Thank you. Speaker 4: Thank you. Councillor Wilkie: I would like to again back to close the meeting please. That was short. Speaker 1: 1991 wasn't a one six it was a one twelve. Okay alright.
00:22:00 Mayor Stewart: That brings us to the end of our special meeting. Thank you everyone for your attendance and thank you Craig. Thank you Larry. Thank you Councilors. Thank you to CEO. I declare the meeting closed at four fifty eight four fifty six. Thank you very much.