The Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) NZ Procurement Symposium was held in Wellington on November 27 and was attended by Rob Lorden. He found the advice from Bernard Cuttance (NZTA) on the importance of reviewing your long term procurement in terms of strategy, contract price adjustment and standard documents useful.

Caleb Johnstone, from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) outlined the 5 Principles in the Government’s new procurement policy established in October this year: Plan and manage for great results, be fair to all suppliers, get the right supplier, get the best deal for everyone and play by the rules. The objectives of the policy are to create an environment for NZ businesses to succeed, increase performance, add value, maximise results, and unlock cost savings.

There were also presentations of specific procurement situations, such as Dukessa Blackburn-Huettner’s example of Stormwater Operations & Maintenance Contract Procurement and the Alliance Maintenance Contracts currently in place in the Southland District, presented by Ian Marshall. Peter Higgs of the Gisborne District Council gave a local government perspective on changes in procurement, and Peter Cunningham of the MBIE looked at delivering the Canterbury rebuild.