Technical service road contracts reduced

25/7/03
Main Roads WA continues to reduce its dependence on contracting out engineering and technical service requirements, in line with Government initiatives to increase the organisation's in-house capability.
Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan said two groups of companies had been selected to provide technical services to Main Roads over the next two years at a total cost of $6million.
The companies are GHD and Kellogg, Brown and Root, which will provide general engineering and technical services, and Bruechle-Gilchrist-Evans and Maunsells, which will provide structural bridge design services.
"These period contracts are part of a strategy for the delivery of engineering and technical services, while the in-house skill base at Main Roads is being rebuilt and expanded to ensure it can continue to manage the State's $13billion road network effectively," Ms MacTiernan said.
"Importantly, these new contracts are smaller in scale, replacing the former engineering and technical services contracts worth in excess of $30million over four years."
The Minister said following a review of Main Roads term contracts in 2001, headed by former Commissioner Dr Ken Michael, she had identified initiatives aimed at rebuilding the organisation's in-house skills.
These included the lifting of the percentage of design work performed in-house from five to 25 per cent within three years.
"Since the decision to reverse the contracting out of virtually all design and technical services, significant progress has been made in rebuilding Main Roads' design capability," Ms MacTiernan said.
"Projects like Stage One of the Tom Price-Karratha Road and the proposed new Ashburton River Bridge have been designed by Main Roads people.
"These new contracts will complement the development of the in-house skills and provide opportunities for working together with industry to maintain the quality of our road network."
Minister's office: 9213 6400