Tasman District Council to Bring Engineering Expertise In-House

The Council is to bring a number of engineering functions in-house as a result of a review of the professional services it receives via contracts with external providers.

The review has identified the best option is to bring a number of the services back in house, predominantly those regarding the control, planning and development of Tasman’s major infrastructure assets.

The changes will see an increase from 21 to 39 engineering staff within the Council. The associated costs will be offset by the decrease in contract fees. The cost benefit alone, approximately $1million per annum, will be visible within three years after the initial costs of the redeployment have been absorbed.

Started in 2011, the review looked at the changing face of the engineering needs in Tasman and whether or not the current structure provided the best delivery model in terms of ownership, expertise and cost. It was not a review of the decision made in 1999 when the current model was instigated. The chosen option reflects the changing nature of engineering and infrastructure ownership, development and management since that time.

The Council has outsourced the majority of its engineering delivery since 1999 and it proved to be successful for the scope and needs of the time. The essence of the review has been to ensure the Council was delivering its obligations via the best means possible.

The review was managed with the assistance of external experts working closely with senior management and Councillors, and identified a number of options to move the investigation further.

This move is in no way a reflection of the services delivered by our current contract holder MWH. The company has provided a high level of service to the Council and the communities of Tasman over the past decade.

The delivery of capital projects will still be contracted out to external providers. It is expected the new structure will be in place by July 2013.