Firm upset over tenders

Press, 2 November 1983, Page 7

Firm upset over tenders

A Christchurch construction company is upset about not being awarded Christchurch Drainage Board contracts when it had submitted the lowest tenders. The staff and tenders committee of the board yesterday. resolved to write to March Construction, Ltd, informing it of other factors taken into consideration when awarding contracts. These include progress and performance of contractors on existing contract commitments. Tpt chairman of the

board and the deputy chief engineer met to hear a complaint by Mr E. G. P. March, a joint managing director of the firm, in August. Since then, a further letter has been received from the company referring to the board’s policy • on the awarding of contracts. “Over the last year we have successfully completed three large contracts for the Drainage Board, each one in difficult and varying conditions,” the contraction company’s letter slid.

It also expressed concern about the small amount of drainage work being advertised for tender by the . board. The committee’s chairman, Mr R. S. Leach, said there had been only two occasions when a tender other than the lowest one had been successful “and both got flak like this.” The board’s chief engineer, Mr H. P. Hunt, said there was a suggestion of some tardiness on the part of the board in the calling v for tenders. This was not(

the case, he said. At the time the letter from March Construction was received, $l.B million contracts had been let, and there were $2 million more outstanding to the end of the financial year. The number of times that contracts went to the second or other tenders would be very, very few, and the decision would be. based on a wide range of reasons, said Mr Leach. “It is a matter of the needs of the board being paramount” : .