Contractor Information

At The Gore District Council, we are committed to ensuring that all contractors working with us uphold the highest standards of health, safety, and wellbeing. This page outlines our expectations, processes, and resources to support safe and successful partnerships.

Health & Safety Pre-Qualification - SiteWise

The Council utilises SiteWise, a trusted pre-qualification platform, to evaluate and assess contractors’ health and safety systems.

Why SiteWise?

Independent assessment of your health and safety practices.
Transparent traffic light rating system.
Valid for 12 months - reducing repetitive paperwork.
Helps identify areas for improvement with cost-effective guidance.

Who needs to use SiteWise?

All contractors unless they meet the exemption criteria outlined below.

Exemption Criteria

You may be exempt from SiteWise if:

You are a small business:

Employing two or fewer people, and
Undertaking low-risk work (see below for examples).

You are already prequalified with a recognised health and safety prequalification provider, such as:

+IMPAC
PREQUAL
TOTIKA

In these cases, you must provide:

A copy of your current prequalification certificate/report.
Evidence of relevant insurance cover (e.g. public liability, professional indemnity).
Any other documentation requested to verify compliance with Council standards.

What is “Low-Risk” Work?

Low-risk work refers to activities that are unlikely to cause serious injury, illness, or death, and typically involve minimal exposure to hazardous environments or equipment.

Examples of low-risk work may include:

Office-based consulting or administrative services.
IT support or software installation.
General cleaning in non-hazardous environments.
Library shelving or document archiving.
Minor maintenance tasks using hand tools only.

For more detailed guidance, refer to:

If you're unsure whether your work qualifies as low risk, please contact our Health, Safety and Wellbeing Advisor for clarification.

What We Expect from Contractors

All approved contractors must:

Follow the health and safety procedures outlined in the Contractor Safety Handbook.
Maintain open communication with Council staff.
Report any incidents, near misses, or hazards immediately.
Participate in site inductions and comply with monitoring requirements.
Support wellbeing initiatives and respectful workplace practices.

How to Become an Approved Contractor

To work with Gore District Council, please follow these steps:

Read and sign the declaration in our Contractor Handbook. Click here to download the Contractor Handbook
Complete the Approved Contractor - Form 1: Click here to download Approved Contractor - Form 1
Email all documents to our Health, Safety and Wellbeing Advisor, Joshua Ward at [email protected].

You may also drop off documents at our main office: 29 Bowler Ave, Gore 9710

Working with the 3 Waters Team

If you are seeking to undertake work involving water, wastewater, or stormwater connections, particularly within the road reserve, you must be approved by our 3 Waters team. Click here to visit the 3 waters section of our website.

Key requirements include:

Completion of a separate application form.
Evidence of relevant qualifications and training (e.g. confined space, PE welding, water disinfection).
Submission of safety management plans and hazard registers.
Proof of public liability insurance (minimum NZD $2 million).
Agreement to The Council bylaws and engineering standards.

All completed applications and supporting documents must be emailed to the 3 Waters team for review and approval at [email protected]

Only contractors listed on the Approved Services Contractor Register may perform these works. A certificate will be issued upon successful approval and signing of the agreement.