Airport Operations to Benefit from Procurement Pilot
Published on 18 March 2026
Whitsunday Regional Council will trial a new strategic procurement pilot aimed at improving efficiency, strengthening procurement practices and delivering better value for money when delivering specialised services at Whitsunday Coast Airport.
At its Ordinary Meeting in Bowen today, Council endorsed the establishment of the Strategic Procurement Pilot within the Aviation department of Council’s Commercial Businesses directorate.
The initiative follows recommendations from Council’s Audit and Risk Committee to further strengthen procurement practices by taking a more strategic and outcomes-focused approach in specialised operational environments.
The pilot will allow Council to test procurement approaches that better reflect the operational realities of environments such as airports, while continuing to operate within Council’s procurement framework and legislative requirements.
Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Ry Collins said the initiative was about ensuring Council could operate efficiently in highly specialised environments like airports, while continuing to maintain strong governance and transparency.
“Airport operations are a highly specialised and time-critical environment where the ability to engage qualified suppliers quickly can be important to maintaining safe and reliable services,” Mayor Collins said.
“This pilot is about strengthening the way we approach procurement so we can be more strategic, efficient and ensure we continue delivering strong value for money for our community.
“It also responds directly to recommendations from our Audit and Risk Committee to continue improving Council’s procurement processes and ensuring we have the right frameworks in place for specialised operational environments.”
Mayor Collins said the pilot would provide valuable insight into how procurement processes could evolve to support improved operational outcomes.
“At the end of the day, this is about making sure our airport continues to operate safely, efficiently and reliably for the people and businesses who rely on it every day.”
Director of Commercial Businesses Craig Turner said aviation operations often involve specialised suppliers and technical services where market availability can be limited.
“In environments like airports, procurement decisions often need to balance operational continuity, safety requirements and the availability of highly specialised suppliers,” Mr Turner said.
“The pilot will allow us to explore procurement approaches that better align with the commercial and operational realities of airport operations while continuing to operate within the requirements of the Local Government Act.”
Mr Turner said the pilot would initially focus on procurement activities within the Aviation department, with any future expansion subject to Council consideration. The outcomes of the pilot will be monitored and reported back to Council as part of an evaluation process to determine whether the approach should continue or be expanded.
For media enquiries, contact:
Greg Martin, Communications and Marketing Manager
07 4945 0617 or Email: communications@whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au