A Queensland local council, which recently achieved a pioneering feat in Australia, has confirmed that it will continue to tap the services of a national firm due to its performance on the novel deal.
Gadens had supported the Sunshine Coast Council from the start of its Sunshine Coast Solar Farm project, which recently went online and made the local government the first in Australia to offset all of its power needs from renewable energy.
Gadens fielded a construction, infrastructure, and procurement team led by partner Paul Muscat. The team aided the council on procurement, project and contract delivery method for the project. It also supported the Sunshine Coast government in all procurement and contract documents, including with administration of the contracts.
Paul Skillen, procurement and contracts manager at the Sunshine Coast Council, praised Muscat and his team for their performance.
“The experience and expertise provided by Paul Muscat and his team throughout the whole procurement, project delivery, and contracting of our solar farm project has been invaluable. Paul has advised on our procurement plan, project delivery method, and drafted our expression of interest, early tenderer involvement and tender documents, through to the drafting and negotiation of the project contracts,” Skillen said.
He said the team proactively assisted the council from the preparation of the procurement plan to undertaking the council’s first-ever early tenderer involvement process. It also helped with the subsequent tender. Skillen also said that Muscat identified contract administration issues and areas of procurement risk, while providing pragmatic and commercial solutions to issues, during the procurement process.
“We will continue to instruct Paul in relation to the ongoing administration of the design and build contract and the subsequent operate and maintain contract,” Skillen said.
Ashurst also worked on the Sunshine Coast Solar Farm.
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