Scenic Rim councillors question City Deal art tender timing

Scenic Rim councillors have asked for a report on procurement processes after questions were raised about the City Deal public art project and whether its tender started before final funding approval. The report is due by 30 August 2026.

Cr Stephen Moriarty raised the issue at the 24 June ordinary meeting, saying he had asked who authorised the tender process to begin before budget approval for 2026-27. He later read out a response saying the project’s budget review reports had been adopted by Council and that the tender was signed off under delegation by officers.

A council officer told the meeting that four officers recommended the procurement and one manager gave the approval. The officer said the tender was authorised under delegations from the Chief Executive Officer.

Another officer said the project had been planned within the 2025-26 capital works program, but timing delays meant the expenditure was pushed into 2026-27. Asked whether it was normal practice to start a tender before funding was formally approved through the budget process, the officer said the project was commenced from a procurement perspective because it had been part of the initial 2025-26 budget.

Council later resolved to receive a report by 30 August 2026 on procurement processes and on funding being in place before procurement starts. The issue centres on how Council handles spend, delegations and tender timing on projects tied to the South East Queensland City Deal public art initiative.

The same meeting also adopted three town centre master plans, approved an extra general waste collection service for a resident undergoing medical treatment, and backed a Greater Flagstone boundary expansion into the Scenic Rim. But the City Deal tender question drew the sharpest challenge.

The matter also touches on multi-year projects more broadly. Council said it has a number of those projects, where procurement starts before spending is spread across later financial years.