The NSW Government has wrapped its final industry engagement session on the next Sydney Roads Asset Performance Contracts with the needs of customers and innovation being the key focus.
Transport for NSW Director of Project Implementation, Matt Sweeting, facilitated the third event in the series in Sydney.
“With the current contracts coming to an end in mid-2021, we’re taking the opportunity to review existing arrangements to ensure the management and maintenance of assets achieves the best outcomes for our customers,” Mr Sweeting said.
“The new contracts will be forward-thinking and innovative, and part of a holistic network-based approach aimed at improving connectivity, integrating services and making better use of capacity. And it really does have a central focus on the needs of customers.
“Next year, 2020, is about procurement for these contracts. So, early on in the year organisations can express their interest in being a part of the process. Shortly after we will shortlist, and then we’ll put the requests for tenders out.
“We’re looking to get these contracts awarded before Christmas 2020. That means mobilisation of the contracts can start in January 2021, leaving six months to get them mobilised, to ensure the service providers can hit the ground running on day one.”
Mr Sweeting said the maintenance work should ensure assets operate effectively for the customer, and align with the community usage of that part of the network.
“If you consider an area where people like spending their leisure time, you’d be looking at the amenity aspects such as grass cutting and graffiti removal,” Mr Sweeting said.
“The contracts will focus on innovation to achieve the strategic outcomes we’ve identified. This will result in ideas and intelligence from the private sector benefiting customers, road users and Transport for NSW.”
The Stewardship Maintenance Contracts were progressively introduced in 2013 and 2014 with the aim of delivering better value for money and improved services for customers.
Efficiencies driven by the contracts have seen savings of more than five per cent, and as part of the contracts the NSW Government directly or indirectly employs more than 2,000 people.
