Australian contractor Ventia has been awarded a $266 million deal with Auckland Council to manage facilities in two of the supercity's five regions.
Ventia, based in New South Wales, is one of six suppliers chosen by Auckland Council after a four-month procurement process for council maintenance services. The company, co-owned by ASX-listed Cimic Group and US private equity firm Apollo Global Management, will manage council assets including parks, libraries and public pools over the next five years in Howick, Maungakiekie-Tāmaki, Ōrākei, Waitemata, Devonport-Takapuna, Hibiscus & Bays, Kaipātiki and Upper Harbour, beginning in July.
City Care, Urban Maintenance Systems (UMS) and City Park Services have also been awarded full facilities contracts which will begin in July, while Wildlands has taken on an ecological services contract for restoration, biodiversity and pest control, and Treescape has signed up to provide ecological and arboriculture services. Previously there were 17 suppliers operating across the region.
"Throughout the procurement process we looked at how suppliers could meet our requirements to deliver the most cost-effective solutions, reduce duplication of services, embrace world leading and emerging technology and introduce new social and environmental targets for management and maintenance of our assets and spaces, among other things," Auckland Council's general manager community facilities Rod Sheridan said in April when the contracts were first announced. "With the process efficiencies and increased levels of service we estimate that the added value in delivering these improvements under the new contracts is in the vicinity of $30m per year."
Ventia said today it has planned procurement processes which will support the local economy and is working with local boards and community groups to create strong working partnerships.
