Messy work: shire and GORCAPA release tender for bin clearing

THE Surf Coast Shire and the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (GORCAPA) are looking for a new contractor to empty rubbish bins and clean streets in the municipality, but say the tender is not in response to recent overflowing rubbish bins in popular destinations along the Surf Coast.

According to the public tender, which the shire advertised in print and through its TenderLink online portal last week, the organisations are seeking “suitably qualified waste services contractors” to clear rubbish bins not only in public places but also in caravan parks, as well as carry out street cleaning.

The tender closes on December 22 but the new contract will not start until the middle of next year.

In a joint statement, the shire and GORCAPA said the contract offered in the tender started on June 1, and would comprise a seven-year initial term with the option for extension.

“Full details of the scope of services are set out in the tender documents, which are available on council’s e-tendering portal, and includes all service locations, bin numbers and contract dates.”

The shire and GORCAPA would not answer specific questions about the number or location of the bins to be emptied or streets to be cleaned, instead referring all queries to a forum within TenderLink, which is reserved for registered suppliers with an ABN.

Overflowing rubbish bins are an occasional but highly visible problem in the Surf Coast Shire, particularly in towns such as Torquay and Lorne.

Although the shire can and does increase bin collections during summer, a surge of visitors from outside the shire in good weather still sometimes results in bins filled to the brim and excess rubbish left nearby, including as recently as earlier this month in Torquay.

The shire and GORCAPA said the existing bin clearing service was established in 2016 as a result of a previous joint tendering process, which was undertaken by the shire and the authority’s predecessor, the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee.

“The advertised tender is therefore consistent with previous market engagement methods.

“We acknowledge that on days where visitor numbers surge, litter can be difficult to manage for various reasons.

“On peak visitor days, additional collections are carried out and additional seasonal bins are installed.

“If public bins are overflowing, people can call the 1300 number on the bin sticker so it can be addressed. Where possible, we encourage people to take their waste home and dispose of it themselves.”

The shire and GORCAPA said they had advertised a joint tender with separate contracts.

“The first preference is for Council and the Authority to enter into separate contracts with a single tenderer however both organisations have reserved the right to enter into individual contracts with different tenderers.

“This will provide Council and the Authority greater flexibility to source the best solution to deliver the required service levels.”