NSW school repair e-tendering system launched

Local tradies will get the maintenance jobs at their local public schools, with a new online system for businesses by the NSW Government.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro and Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell launched the platform to ensure local businesses, particularly in regional parts of the state, were better supported.

Some 25,000 opportunities to quote for work are expected to be generated, with an estimated total value of $50 million.

Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said the 2019-20 NSW Budget provides more than $620 million to clear the school maintenance backlog in all public schools by July 2020, bringing the total maintenance investment to more than $1.3 billion over five years.

It will be the first time in the state’s history that the school maintenance backlog will be wiped to zero., Mitchell said.

“Through this new e-Tendering system, local tradies will be given more opportunities for the uptake of local jobs, and schools will be able to work alongside trusted community-based businesses,” Mitchell said. 

The contract to manage the new system has been awarded to Hipages Group Pty Ltd, with an initial term of three years.

The new platform will be fully operational early next year, following a staged roll-out and specific department additions to the current hipages platform.