Wet hire of plant and machinery hire Raine Island sand re-profiling

Raine Island National Park (Scientific) on the northern Great Barrier Reef and supports the largest nesting population in the world for green turtle (Chelonia mydas). It is the nesting sites for 90% of the northern Great Barrier Reef green turtle population and over recent year’s observations are that the breeding success of the population is seriously compromised and that the overall population will be in decline. The green turtle is listed as vulnerable nationally and endangered internationally.
The major issues threatening a potential collapse of the northern GBR green turtle population are;
• Reduction in the number of clutches laid per female per breeding season. This is the result of:
o Very low nesting success - due to the high density of turtles, especially on the beach berm, and a reduced depth of sand over much of the nesting area
• Hatching failure – resulting because much of the nesting area is now low-lying and egg chambers are inundated by tidal water. Other factors such as pathogens, gases and toxins may also be an added or separate cause of embryo mortality.
• Adult female mortality - due to turtles overturning or being trapped among rocks or becoming disoriented on the nesting beaches and dying of heat exhaustion.

A section of beach (approximately 150m x 100m) was re-profiled in 2014 to increase the viable nesting area above inundation level and encourage an even nesting distribution to improve hatchling production. Following the positive results from the 2014 re-profiling further works were undertaken in 2017 with over 15,000m3 of sand moved on the island. All up approximately 1.8Ha of nesting beach has now been re-profiled. These areas have remained stable since the works and had increased nesting and hatching success.
As part of the Raine Island Recovery Project the Department would now like to undertake more sand re-profiling works on the island.
The Department is seeking offers to supply wet plant and machinery hire for these sand re-profiling works required on Raine Island in the Northern Great Barrier Reef as a component of the Raine Island Recovery Project in Aug/Sept 2019.
The plant and equipment required are as follows:
• 1 x 20 tonne Excavator or similar
• 1 x Drott - Similar to Caterpillar 953 crawler loader approx. 18 tonne with attachments
• 2 x tracked dump trucks (approx. 10-12 tonne each)
• Bobcat with attachments including cement mixer and pile driver
Other machinery and equipment may also include, but not be limited to:
• A fuel (eg. petrol or diesel) air compressor for cleaning filters, radiators, and other items as required
• Specialist tools for maintenance if required to be taken to site during the term of the contract
Heavy plant, machinery and equipment will be ferried on a Department-selected barge contractor from Portsmith (Cairns) to Raine Island, and from Raine Island to Portsmith, once works are completed.
The supply of professional heavy plant and machinery /sand moving services for works at Raine Island are from on or around the 29th August 2017 to 10th September 2019 (on site).
Note - Dates will be extended for the required clean down and inspection of the heavy plant (48 hours prior to departure), the delivery to barge approximately 24 hours prior to scheduled departure date and an allowance of 48 -72 hours travel in each direction.
It is expected that there will be suitably qualified operators provided for the machinery including one operator who is able to undertake maintenance and repairs on site (preferably the Drott operator).

For detailed information on the specific works sought under this tender, please review the "Specification Documents" in "Section 3 - Here is the detail".