Council recognised for its flood recovery efforts

LISMORE City Council has been recognised for its large scale and high-pressure efforts in disaster recovery, while hosting the state-wide Local Government Procurement Networking Meeting.

The devastating floods in 2022 are widely regarded as one of the most complex disasters managed by a regional council in Australia.

The meeting at Lismore Heights Bowling Club featured a presentation by the council’s flood restoration portfolio team, which stated there are more than 540 projects underway and hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure delivery.

“In the 2023-24 financial year, Lismore City Council managed $239 million in procurement,” Lismore City general manager Jon Gibbons said.

“Of that, 36 per cent was spent with local businesses in the Lismore LGA, and 12 per cent with suppliers across the Northern Rivers region.

“Nearly 50 per cent of the Council’s procurement, around $113.7 million, stayed within the region.”

The council has used local contractors and grouped specific projects into bundles to suit the skills and what is available locally.

It built its flood restoration portfolio team from the ground up, totalling 82 dedicated projects.

It also used existing systems, including a vendor panel, which allows the council to manage contracts efficiently and transparently.

Staff across the delivery team were trained in contract law, probity and public works delivery.

Other speakers at the event included NSW anti-slavery commissioner Dr James Cockayne and senior representatives from across government and industry.

It was hosted by Origin Energy and included information on legislative compliance, supplier engagement, sustainability and risk management.

Lismore City acting manager of procurement Mark Parry said the event was an opportunity to demonstrate the scale and quality of work delivered.

“We have a unique situation where we need to keep council’s business-as-usual function running smoothly in parallel with the flood recovery portfolio’s significant procurement requirements,” he said.

“To that end, our respective teams have developed practical, scalable systems that are coordinated and achieving results in a high-pressure environment.”