AGY-2092 | State Contracts Control Board

Full description

The State Contracts Control Board was established under regulations of Public Service Act, 1902 (Act No.31, 1902). These regulations were effective as of 1 April 1923.

The Board consisting of 6 members including the Chairman (the Manager of the Government Stores Department [Mr A Berckelman]) was appointed on the same day. The other Board members were: Controller of Stores, Metropolitan Board of Water Supply and Sewerage [Mr G W Bagnall]; Controller of Stores, Sydney Harbour Trust [Mr J B Wood]; Commercial Officer, Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission [Mr A E Lewis]; Superintendent of Stores, Department of Public Works [Mr G E Peterson]; and, Controller of Postal Stores [Mr R P Tate, Commonwealth Government Representative]. The first meeting of the Board was held on 3 April 1923. The Board was the successor to the Committee of the Stores Supply Department. (1)

By 1986, the membership of the Board had increased to 10 and consisted of a Chairman (the Director of Government Supply Department), and nine representatives of Government Departments and Statutory Authorities. The Board operated under the provisions of the Public Service (Stores and Services) Regulations 1984 of the Public Service Act 1979 (Act No. 89, 1979). (2)

The Public Sector Management (Stores and Services) Regulation, 1988, outlined that the role of the State Contracts Control Board was to provide a formal structure for user participation in the contracting system, independent scrutiny, and quality control of major public service procurement decisions. (3) The Board also had the responsibility to review, develop and make recommendations for the purchasing policy of the NSW Public Service. (4)

The Board's roles and functions under the Public Sector Management (Goods and Services) Regulation 2000 included: the disposal of goods and services for the public service; the investigation and resolution arising in the course of government procurement and the investigation of competitive neutrality complaints involving tendering by government agencies. The Board was continued under the Public Sector Employment and Management Act 2002. (5)

The Board remained in operation issuing directions to agencies regarding procurements and authorising them to carry out certain procurements until its abolition on 1 July 2012. (6)

The Board's functions were continued under the newly established NSW Procurement Board which had additional powers that the State Contracts Control Board did not have. (7)

Endnotes
1. Regulations No. 216 to 221 under Public Service Act, 1902 (Act No.31, 1902) in NSW Government Gazette No.31, 9 March 1923, p.1374, Public Service List 1923, p.31; NSW Government Gazette No.45, 13 April 1923, p.1930; NRS 4497, Minutes of the State Contracts Control Board, 27 March 1923 and 3 April 1923 [10/25145].
2. First Annual Report of the Government Supply Department for year ended 30 June 1986, p.14.
3. Annual Report for Public Works and Services, 30 June 1995.
4. NSW Government Directory 2000.
5. NSW Department of Commerce Annual Report 2004/2005 Appendix 24 p.141 http:// www.commerce.nsw.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/eggc6ppm7gmc5vdy4fezcp4lr43227zhhfjcpr2a64rrerhnedabvmt33xzwqumk3d57wipa6rlrcd3q5qn6dsjo4yg/Appendices19-25.pdf (accessed 8 January 2007); Public Sector Employment and Management Act 2002 (Act No.43, 2002) s.135.
6. Public Sector Employment and Management Amendment (Procurement of Goods and Services) Act 2012 (Act No.43, 2012) Sch. 1; NSW Government Gazette No.67, 29 June 2012, 29 June 2012, p.3004.
7. NSW Department of Finance & Services, Annual Report, 2012-2013, p.51.