Toowoomba’s water treatment plant to see $19.5m enhancement project after council fast-track
THE Toowoomba Regional Council will seek advice from external contractors as part of the fast-tracking of a $19.5 million expansion of the city’s main water treatment plant.
Council
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Councillors voted yesterday to invite expressions of interest from a short-list of proponents to help with the expansion of the Mt Kynoch water treatment plant, which is due to reach capacity in 2022.
The TRC had already committed $3 million in the current budget towards the project.
Water and waste chair Cr Rebecca Vonhoff said the works were crucial for the region.
“Water is our number one priority at the council and the plant is a crucial component in the delivery of a safe and reliable water supply to our residents,” she said.
“To ensure the council continues this service to the community, the council will call for expressions of interest to facilitate the fast-tracking of the delivery of enhancement works through an early contractor involvement tender process.
“Given the age of the treatment plant, a key objective of the project is to develop and deliver a scope that provides value for money outcomes for the council, while minimising the operational risk and maintaining service continuity during construction.
“Built in 1975, the existing plant has already had a number of upgrades and maintenance carried out with the site expected to meet its capacity limit by 2022.”
Council officers at the meeting said the best ideas and design outcomes were required to ensure the project’s budget didn’t blow out.
“As an existing asset, functionality and operational constraints are difficult to document, requiring a collaborative approach to the design and delivery,” the report said.
“If traditional approaches to contract delivery were taken, council would be exposed to a number of commercial risks, particularly around scope creep, delays and operational impacts.”
The motion is expected to be ratified at next week’s ordinary meeting.