Consultancy 'conflict of interest' concerns Shelton ...

From the Chronicle:

27 May 2006

Consultancy 'conflict of interest' concerns Shelton

By Greg Berghofer

Anti-water recycling councillor Lyle Shelton is concerned at the payment of ratepayers' money in consultancies to the American-based form who is a likely tenderer for Toowoomba's sewage recycling plant.

The company CH2M Hill is the principal builder of the reverse osmosis plant in Singapore which is a model for Toowoomba's proposed treatment works.

Cr Shelton said CH2M Hill had been engaged by council to convince Toowoomba's public of the safety and necessity of drinking recycled sewage and likely to be a tenderer to build or project-manage construction of the city plant.

"I'm concerned we've paid a truckload to CH2M Hill, i.e. for the public information water book and in producing videos, and they're likely to be the only tenderer if it goes ahead," he said. "I think there are issues of conflict of interest."

Cr Shelton said no other company was likely to tender for a reverse osmosis plant but conceded few would have the expertise to build one.

"But that to me just underlines the fact that it gives a lie to the claim that it is routinely done everywhere."

Cr Shelton said the "No" campaign was up against a $400,000 ratepayer-funded campaign.

And that doesn't take into account wage bills of several senior staff and public relations staff who have been taken off line to work largely on the "Yes" campaign.


At the last Council Committee meetings, Councillor Shelton requested an update on the costs to date of the Water Futures project. This update is to be provided at the next Council Committee meetings.

Interestingly, the original CBHM Water contract to expand Wetalla treatment works contained an option enabling the Council to give the recycled sewage contract to CH2M Hill and its partners without going through an open tender process. Council subsequently had a change of heart and cancelled the option.