Contract - GWS486

In addition to providing water and wastewater services, Gippsland Water have several commercial businesses, including Victoria’s largest organics waste recycling facility, Gippsland Regional Organics (GRO).  

GRO is located on 356 hectares of Gippsland Water’s 8,341 hectare landholding at Dutson Downs near Longford in Gippsland’s Wellington Shire Council area. 

GRO is an Environment Protection Authority (EPA) licensed waste treatment facility that is authorised to accept 250,000 tonnes of waste per annum. GRO is one of the most extensive organics recycling facilities in Victoria, producing around 50,000 tonnes per annum of high quality, Australian Standard (AS4454) certified compost for broad acre agricultural production.

The specification is for the provision of Labour and Equipment hire at GRO. The scope of work encompasses:

• Labour hire; and
• Equipment hire.

It is expected that the successful Service Provider for labour and equipment hire will work closely with the Gippsland Water GRO team on a daily basis without compromising safety to support works tasks which include; mixing, screening, batching, rotating, and relocating of green organics for the purpose of processing with liquid and solid waste to provide an agreed quality, commercially viable compost product. Future expansion of the GRO facility may include processing of green organics for energy generation.

These liquid and solid waste streams fall mainly into two categories:

• Reportable Priority Waste – management of these wastes is regulated by the EPA due to their potentially hazardous nature. Most of these wastes are a by-product of industry, eg contaminated soil, asbestos, oily water and grease trap

• Priority Waste and Industrial Waste – generally waste created in the food and organic water treatment industry, eg septic tank, water treatment biosolids and sludges. This includes wastes generated by Gippsland Water Waste Treatment Plants

The mobile plant supplied to GRO will be used primarily within the 356 ha zone and can be moved around the site with minimal issues. In addition to the Works and Services under this Specification, the Service Provider shall undertake other Works or Services related to the scope that may reasonably be requested from time to time by Gippsland Water.  Gippsland Water’s Representative will direct such additional Works and Services.  The extent of the additional requirements will be negotiated between Gippsland Water’s Representative and the Service Providers Representative and shall be treated as Variations under the Conditions of Contract.

Presently GRO operations are undertaken during business hours (generally 07;30am to 4:30pm) with some weekend work as required. Consideration is being given to future needs, which may result in some changes to operational hours/days.