Project Details
UDL was approached by Whittlesea City Council in February 2023 and the initial 12 month contract has been extended by one year. Due to high levels of service, planning and professionalism, we have since been awarded a new council maintenance contract commencing on April 1 2025. The contract covers approximately one third of the Whittlesea municipality across a range of sites including council parks, road reserves, shopping centres and council facility sites. UDL Group promptly improved the general condition of garden beds and was rewarded with frequent positive feedback from the general public and client stakeholders.
Key aspects of this maintenance contract includes:
- Biodiversity: More formal style landscapes in the southern zones to new developments in the north with native landscapes and culturally heritage significant trees.
- Environmental sensitivity: A contractor capable of addressing the unique environmental needs of the area, including formal gardens, native vegetation, waterways and cultural significant Red gums.
- Operational expertise: Proven ability to manage complex maintenance tasks tailored to the area’s diverse geography.
Highlights
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UDL’s approach to the City of Whittlesea maintenance contract includes a comprehensive service offering designed to meet community needs and environmental goals. Highlights of our service delivery include:
- Extensive maintenance scope: Including litter removal, mowing, garden care, and community engagement.
- Contract growth: Over the life of the contract we have seen this contract grow from what was expected to be $250k pa to its current value of $2.1m pa. This has also resulted in being awarded the overall Parks Maintenance Contract for the West Zone commencing in April 2025 with annual turnover of $6.2m.
- Community collaboration: Working closely with local stakeholders, community groups with positive engagement with residents.
- Technology integration: Utilising real time monitoring tools to track maintenance and ensure compliance with council standards.
Challenges
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Despite extensive and thorough planning, several challenges arise in maintaining the parks and reserves in this area including:
- Site factors: Sites having had minimal maintenance over the past five years required large-scale revitalisation works upon contract commencement.
- Environmental factors: Managing maintenance during seasonal changes and adverse weather conditions affecting accessibility and work schedules.
- Community engagement: Addressing public concerns and ensuring satisfaction amid ongoing maintenance work.
- Resource allocation: Efficiently allocating and mobilising teams with the skill set to complete works at allocated site.
- Training: Educating staff on the diverse maintenance requirements for different plant species throughout the City of Whittlesea.
- Balancing revitalisation and maintenance: Ensuring ongoing health of public spaces is maintained while completing revitalisation works on sites that have not be maintained.
