2025Q201C Water Meter Reading Services Contract Administration
Central Highlands Regional Council (Council) is seeking a suitably qualified and experienced contractor to provide Project Management and Contract Administration services associated with Water Meter Reading Services (by others). The services required are outlined in the Attachment 1 - Technical Specification and Attachment 2 – Water Utilities Project General Specification.
The contractor’s is required to provide all labour, plant, equipment and other items required to adequately perform the services, including but not limited to:
• Manage the selected meter reading Contractor in accordance with their Contract requirements to ensure meters are successfully read in the November 2025 and May 2026 meter reading cycles.
• Hold pre-start meeting with selected meter reading Contractor and follow up on any actions arising from this meeting. This meeting is expected to occur approximately two (2) to three (3) weeks prior to works commencing in November 2025.
• Hold weekly progress meeting with selected meter reading Contractor during each of the meter reading cycles.
• Co-ordinate and attend an information session with all Contractor and Council meter readers to establish expectations from the meter readers
• Coordinate with CHRC rates and Water Utilities Admin officer to obtain all meter reading routes
• Coordinate with CHRC Admin to obtain all access cards for the Contractor and verify that the Contractor and their staff are registered in Council’s linksafe system.
• Facilitate a meeting with network Coordinator to obtain final list of towns/meters to be read by the internal crews
• Manage the day-to-day activities of the Contractor and Council meter reading crews – including the provision of a daily report showing meters read for the day and cumulative total per town.
• Collect and check daily read sheets for clerical errors or missed reads from the meter reading Contractor and Council crews
• Provide re-read sheets as required to the Meter Reading Contractor and Council crews
• Submit meter reading sheets (post checking) to CHRC rates department
• Undertake reading of mis-reads or re-reads or areas difficult to access if not satisfied or need to verify reads undertaken by Contractor staff or Council staff.
• Manage communication and commercial arrangement with Contractor to ensure they meet the meter reading timelines and re-reads or any other matters associated with meeting the requirements of their Contract
• Be available every day that meter readers are working; minimum hours expected 50 hours per week by 4 weeks per each meter reading cycle
• Checking water meter reading sheets for clerical errors
• Mentor Council’s nominated officer to take over the Contract Management and checking of meter reading sheets for future meter reading cycles.
• Any other task associated with ensuring the meters are read accurately and within the required timeframe.
Central Highlands Regional Council (CHRC) supplies water to approx. 12,500 properties throughout our region. Twice a year (May and November), water meters need to be read as part of our obligations.
There is a legislative requirement that all meters be read within a four-week period, two weeks plus and minus of the read date of 30 November. CHRC is requiring all reads to occur in the first 3 weeks giving a one-week allowance for re-reads and/or confirmations of reads.
The first meter reading period in Year 1 shall be the November 2025 reading period, which runs from 17 November 2025 to 13 December 2025.
The second meter reading period in Year 1 shall be in May 2026.
The water meter reading locations are as follows:
Anakie – 65 meters over 1 route
Bauhinia – 14 meters over 1 route
Capella – 50 meters over 2 routes.
Comet – 46 meters over 1 route.
Emerald – 5,826 meters over 37 routes.
Rolleston – 101 meters over 1 route.
Rubyvale – 282 meters over 1 route.
Sapphire – 224 meters over 1 route.
Springsure – 504 meters over 5 routes.
Tieri – 594 meters over 6 routes.
In addition to the base scope, CHRC at its discretion may include the following water meter reading locations:
Blackwater – 2,420 meters over 10 routes
Bluff – 205 meters over 1 route.
Dingo – 81 meters over 1 route.
Duaringa - 182 meters over 1 route.
CHRC requires external assistance to work with our internal team to ensure the meters are read accurately and within the required timeframe.
The successful Contractors nominated staff member:
• Must have availability to manage the meter reading Contract and meter reads during November 2025 and May 2026.
• Must have ability to mentor Council’s nominated officer to take over the Contract Management for future meter reading cycles.
• Must have a good understanding of the regulatory requirements associated with water meters and meter reading
• Must have contract administration experience.
The scope is to provide project management and contract administration services to CHRC associated with the water meter reading services (undertaken
by others) across the Central Highlands area locations referred to in the section above.
The provision of:
• One (1) project manager to undertake contract administration of the water meter reading for up to a 4-week period in November (from 17 November 2025 to 13 December 2025) and in May 2026 for 4 weeks.
Each 4-week period is for a 3-week read duration with a provision of an additional week for re-reads if required. Workdays and hours are Monday to Friday (8am to 5pm).