Each week the NT Independent will publish Tenders in Focus. It will look at NT Government tenders of substantial public interest. We will include the companies that have tendered, and a brief of the tender details and other significant information about the project.

167 closed but un-awarded contracts

The first thing we will focus on in Tenders in Focus this week is the quantity of tenders that have closed but that have not been awarded. On the NT Government tenders website there are 167 closed but un-awarded tenders and quotes. Of these, 32 are from 2019. Given the government has been stimulating the economy during this pandemic it is reasonable to ask why this committed spending has not been awarded. The NT Independent will keep an eye on the quantity of tenders that remain on this un-awarded list and keep you updated.

Third time around

The Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics has released a tender for the construction of the ‘north and south entry statements (welcome sign) for Tennant Creek… again. Varied but related tenders and contracts have been released and awarded two times before. This has seen the civil component completed. This tender’s requirements is comprised of the construction of two architectural concrete entry statement walls north and south of Tennant Creek. The last contract had work changed due to the community disputing the resting position of the gecko in the architectural artwork. This tender closes on the May 7.

Territory Wildlife Park nature playground

A tender for the construction of a nature-based playground at the Territory Wildlife Park has been awarded to Freeform Contracting for $116, 354. The project is aimed at attracting more visitors to the park. The Territory Wildlife park drew public attention in December 2019 when the Auditor General’s report showed successive governments had pumped more than $120 million into it since 2004, including $8 million in 2019. Regardless, the park had reported $3.8 million dollars of debt last year.

Power and Water financial advisors submitted

The Power and Water Corporation tender to allocate a panel for the Darwin region for financial advisory and accounting services has closed. There were six submissions from Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, PKF, Price Waterhouse Cooper and Quality People. The tender, which covers general accounting services, also includes the requirement to provide advice “on the interpretation of financial statements and related data, to assist Power and Water in its financial planning, resource management and decision-making”. Power and Water is the major power supplier for the NT and power prices are always a key issue for Territorians. Power and Water last year reported a $1.2 billion debt and a financial loss of $200 million for the financial year.

Closed provision of marketing services

Last week a tender for the provision of research services for Northern Territory Marketing Survey closed for the Department of Tourism, Sport and Culture. Instinct and Reason Pty Ltd was the only firm to submit for this tender. Instinct and Reason gives its local address as level 16, Charles Darwin Centre,19 Smith St. This level of the Charles Darwin Centre offers varied short-term leasing arrangements including a hot desk service.

One last thing

One last thing but a good thing. On the NT Government tenders website there is a notice on all pages that state there is a scheduled upgrade outage. This upgrade will mean you will be able to search for historical contracts back to 2013, including the addresses of the awarded contractors.