Councillors to vote on tender for new Coffs Harbour animal shelter
The Council is under pressure to build its new pound by December, as the RSPCA cuts ties in order to focus solely on rescuing and rehoming animals in need.
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Coffs Harbour City Council is under pressure to construct its new animal shelter by December in the face of the RSPCA’s “difficult but necessary” decision to sever ties.
RSPCA NSW CEO Steve Coleman had notified Council in 2018 that the Coffs Harbour facility would no longer manage animals for Council beyond the expiry of its contract in 2020 in order to realign its focus solely on animal welfare.
A recently negotiated contract however saw the RSPCA agree to extend its impounding services for another 12 months until December 1, 2021, as the Council meanwhile explored various avenues in a bid to fill the impending void.
After December the facility will provide its services to the Council only on a month-by-month basis, with the ability to terminate within a month’s notice.
Mr Coleman previously told The Advocate that the move had come as statistics showed almost 50 per cent of the RSPCA’s intake was comprised of animals managed for councils, as opposed to rescues.
“We simply don’t have the means to build more shelters so we have to look at using every last kennel, cage and enclosure to support those animals that need it most,” he said.
The council initially approached the RSPCA with an offer to purchase the land and facilities, however this was rejected. An Expression of Interest process was also launched to third party service providers, but it was deemed that the three submissions received did not meet the Council’s needs.
The Council last year obtained development consent to build its own pound on Christmas Bells Rd on a council-owned parcel of land situated next to the RSPCA.
Tenders for the build were recently advertised and closed at the end of March, with five being received including from Connex Management & Construction, the company behind the $12m Southern Cross Uni Allied Health building, and A W Edwards, the company working on Sawtell Ambulance Station.
Tenders were also received from Sydney-based Van Mal Group Construction, and Building Heights which has offices in Dubai, Sydney and Port Macquarie.
Around $1,150,000 was earmarked for the new facility in the Council’s 20/21 budget however a new report set to go before councillors at this week’s meeting revealed all tenders were above the budget and further funds needed to be allocated to complete the project.
The detailed costing for the project remains confidential and does not include operational costs which are currently being finalised and will be presented in the 2021/22 delivery program.
On Thursday councillors will vote on whether to proceed with the recommended tender, which also currently remains confidential, and to therefore proceed to construction.
Following the expiry of the contract RSPCA Coffs Harbour will still remain operating as an animal shelter focusing on rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of animals, however it will no longer manage animals for the Council under the Companion Animal Act.
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