Guidelines for suppliers

We are committed to achieving sustainability and ensuring it monitors and reports on council activities and programs that have an impact on or contribute to the environment including, but not limited, to the following:

• Waste management;
• Recycling;
• Energy management;
• Emission management;
• Water conservation;
• Green building design; and
• Procurement.

We will adopt a green procurement approach by supporting the principles of sustainable procurement within the context of purchasing on a value for money basis.
Value for money purchasing decisions made by the council are made on the basis of whole of life cost and non-price factors including contribution to the council’s sustainability objectives.

The council prefers to purchase environmentally preferred products whenever they achieve the same
function and value for money outcomes.

A standard set of questions under the criteria of environmental sustainability will appear in all AlburyCity quotations and tender documents as follows:

• When evaluating offers, consideration needs to be given to the impact the goods and/or services have on the environment. Also, purchases are based on the principle of value for money and should therefore consider the total cost of ownership or whole of life costs of the product and/or service. The council will consider the following environmental sustainability criteria: reduce, reuse and recycle;
  • Please provide details of environmental policies and plans with evidence of their
    application; and/or,
  • Please provide examples of practices and products that demonstrate a commitment
    and capacity to deliver positive environment outcomes.

We are committed to work health and safety (WHS) and recognises its duty to ensure the health and safety of all persons potentially impacted by its activities. This duty extends to the activities of all contractors and subcontractors engaged by us.

We have developed and implemented a comprehensive safety management system, consistent with Australian Standards, which provides a high standard of workplace health and safety and aims for zero harm. Also we require all of our contractors and subcontractors to have in place safe systems of work at least equivalent to the safety standards in place at AlburyCity.

It is a requirement that all relevant contractors who provide services to us be WHS registered. Relevant contractors are those who undertake work at our facilities or in a public place on our behalf. This is a process whereby all relevant contractors complete the Contractor Safety Compliance Package to demonstrate their ability to manage WHS and that they have the appropriate insurance and licences in place.

Contractors not already registered for WHS purposes are required to complete and submit the Contractor Safety Compliance Package prior to undertaking any work for us. This includes those contractors who wish to submit a quote or tender. In this regard, the successful contractor must be registered for WHS purposes under our contractor management system including the provision of documentary evidence against each of the criteria shown, prior to being awarded the contract.

Failure to have an adequate safety system in place can make a quote or tender submission non-compliant, regardless of the quality of the rest of the submission.

We are committed to community and business growth and will seek to incorporate social benefit into all Council procurement within the context of purchasing on a value for money basis.

Social procurement refers to the generation of social value through purchasing and procurement processes and provides the opportunity to:

• Develop a broad and more flexible supplier market;
• Create a level playing field for all suppliers and ensures the Council's supply market remains dynamic, diverse and more competitive in the long term;
• Improve competition in the supplier market;
• Provide for greater employment and training opportunities that can help to encourage residents to remain in the region and ensure their work readiness;
• Foster a new social economy that encourages local involvement;
• Provide for capacity building of local businesses for tendering and quoting practices and procedures; and
• Ensure fairness and equity in regard to social enterprises such as disadvantaged firms, social firms, Indigenous businesses, volunteer organisations and disability firms that will generate employment and deliver other local social impacts.

A standard set of questions under the criteria of benefit to the local region will appear in our quotation and tender documents are as follows:

• Is your businesses head office located in the Albury-Wodonga Region? Please provide details?
• Does your business have a permanent presence in the Albury-Wodonga region? Please provide details.
• What percentage of labour and subcontractors will be sourced in the Albury-Wodonga region for this procurement activity?
• What percentage of materials, plant and equipment will be sourced or manufactured in the Albury-Wodonga region for this procurement activity?
• Will this procurement activity result in an increase in employment in the Albury-Wodonga region? Please provide details.
• What benefit does your business bring to the local community? For example:
  • Sponsorships of sporting groups, youth services or community organisations.
  • Employment and training opportunities for minority groups. How are or will these be implemented?
  • Are you a social enterprise, indigenous business, minority owned business, volunteer organisation or a disability firm? Please explain.
  • Opportunities for skills and technology transfer to increase the skills of local businesses and individuals.
  • Potential to undertake innovation, research and development of technology; and
  • Employment training opportunities to the unemployed or disadvantaged local residents.

The criteria weighting will be split 50/50 between local supply and community benefit with a combined weighted score of 10 per cent of the total evaluation. The local region for the purpose of procurement, tendering and contract management is to be interpreted as the Albury-Wodonga region.