Governments should buy recycled material: inquiry

Commonwealth departments and state and local governments would adopt more explicit ‘green procurement’ policies under measures recommended by a Senate committee.

2 July, 2018

Crackdown on councils’ contracting of security services

Fair Work Ombudsman warns local governments could be liable if their contractors breach workplace laws after finding non-compliance in the supply chains of nearly two thirds of surveyed councils.

28 June, 2018

Governments must use procurement ‘muscle’ responsibly

Major Australian engineering and design firms are calling on Australian governments to adopt a new policy for ethical and fair dealings with private contractors.

18 June, 2018

Are we getting risk wrong in public-private partnerships?

As Australian governments and private enterprise partners on a multi-billion dollar infrastructure pipeline, it’s incumbent we reduce the likelihood of cost overruns, writes Paul Sullivan.

7 June, 2018

Sustainable procurement: bottom-up efforts gain momentum

Examining the impact of a global sustainable procurement standard on government.

4 June, 2018

NSW Government boosts Aboriginal procurement

Experts have praised the Berejiklian Government’s new indigenous procurement policy but caution effective implementation and broader efforts to nurture businesses are crucial.

24 May, 2018

NSW looks to market for solutions to wicked problems

A new procurement platform to be launched on 31 May is part of a broader approach to making it easier to do business with the NSW Government, its most senior ICT executive says.

20 May, 2018

Cyber security: collaboration key as government sets sights on zero risks

Cyber Security Minister says all governments must work together to abolish cyber threats, while a leading cyber-defence CEO points to managing risk in the supply chain as a key issue.

18 May, 2018

Aboriginal ranger jobs a boost for native land conservation

An indigenous ranger employment program in remote south-western Australia is tackling rural unemployment while rehabilitating native plants through traditional indigenous agricultural techniques.

30 April, 2018

Social enterprises an untapped partner for councils: analysis

Research shows social procurement could enable local government to achieve efficiencies while helping community enterprises realise goals.

12 April, 2018

Experts flag lack of accountability in procurement contracts

Current contract arrangements often prevent consultants from being held accountable for the advice they give to government while ambiguous reporting makes it difficult to determine the value for money of outsourced work.

19 March, 2018

Government’s $80,000 procurement contract threshold in focus

Inquiry hears the Department of Finance should carry out a more detailed investigation into whether there is “systematic flouting” of the procurement rules.

12 March, 2018

More procurement from SMEs to ‘boost innovation’

The Federal Government’s new report on ways to boost innovation in Australia has called for more government procurement from SMEs (small and medium enterprises). Government agency Innovation and Science Australia (ISA) has released a report, ‘Australia 2030: Prosperity through Innovation’, making 30 recommendations on how to improve Australia’s poor performance in innovation. On most international […]

1 February, 2018

PC Report on Government Services – Community Services

The Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services (RoGS) contain a large section on Community Services. It breaks the sector into four categories: aged care, services for people with disabilities, child protection services, and youth justice services. It is an enormous sector, second only to health. Total Federal, state and territory government recurrent expenditure on community […]

23 January, 2018