AGY-3753 | Board of Advice and Reference

Full description

The Board of Advice and Reference was established by Executive approval in the period 1889- 1891. The constitution was contained in a Minute by the Minister, Bruce Smith. This places the commencement of the Board within the dates 8 March 1889 and 13 August, 1891. It appears that the 'constitution' contained in this minute may have been a list of members rather than assignment of functions and responsibilities. It is possible that the date was close to 12 July, 1889 when the Board for Opening Tenders for Public Works was appointed. The functions of the two Boards were closely linked. The Board of Advice and Reference consisted of the following members ex-officio - The Minister (President); the Under-Secretary of the Department of Public Works (Vice-President) The Government Architect; The Engineer for Irrigation and Drainage; The Chief Engineer for Harbours and Water Supply; Chief Engineer Railway and Tramway Construction ; the President of the Metropolitan Board of Water Supply and Sewerage and the Engineer Superintendent of the Government Dockyard. Within the Department the Board was known as the Board of Reference. The Board normally met weekly. The responsibilities of the Board included consideration of tenders, any special matters referred to it by the Minister; questions relating to conditions of contracts; and other matters which the Department Heads referred to the Board. The majority of matters which came before the Board had previously been handled by the Board for Opening Tenders for Public Works which merely received the tenders and distributed them to the relevant officers within the Department. The main function of the Reference Board was to recommend to the Minister the acceptance of tenders. Usually the recommendation of the officer dealing with the work in question was endorsed by the Board. The Minister's acceptance of recommendations was by no means automatic and he on occasion queried or rejected recommendations. Matters referred to the Board were a small part of its business but included pay rates, standards and testing of materials (particularly cement) and disqualification of some tenderers. Tenders for small amounts jobs in country areas (e.g. in 1911 below £200) were handled locally at the Court of Petty Sessions and did not come before the Board. (1) A Royal Commission of Inquiry into certain matters relating to the Department of Public Works was conducted in 1911. The terms of reference included ‘The methods which have been or are in use with respect to calling for or dealing with tenders for public works.’ Evidence was taken from Mr T.B. Cooper, Secretary to the Board of Reference. The Royal Commissioner Hugh Montgomerie Hamilton reported in his findings “The functions of the Board of Reference are no doubt important, but no suggestion was made, nor can I see any reason to recommend , that any alteration should be made with respect to it, so long as the system of having public works carried out under contract prevails, except that it might be strengthened by the addition of another professional man in an independent yet efficient position, such as Mr Walsh, Chief Engineer to the Harbour Trust”. (2) A form for a report to the Board of Reference in relation to public buildings [c. 1927] survives and provides for information relating to the buildings and demographics of a town. (3) The membership of the Board changed with Departmental structure but its role continued unchanged. It is unclear when the Board ceased to function. Endnotes:
(1) Royal Commission on certain matters relating to the Department of Public Works. Minutes of evidence. P. 106- 108. Evidence of T.B. Cooper, Secretary of the Public Works Tender Board and Departmental Board of Reference. 20 April 1911. (paragraphs 3506- 3561) in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1911 Vol. 1 p. 808- 810
(2) Report of the Royal Commission on certain matters relating to the Department of Public Works p. Xii in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1911 Vol. 1 p 692
(3) CGS 12509 General Instructions to Officers of the Public Works Department, 1927 p. 43 and appendix 29