Page 664 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 12 April 1994

(3) The Holiday Planner is being produced following a tender process which

sought publication of the book for three years. Tenders were received

from both ACT and national publishing houses. Vickers Caley were

selected to produce the Planner as they proposed the most cost-effective

publication. Vickers Caley proposed a financial structure of a $50,000

establishment subsidy in the first year, a $25,000 subsidy in the second

year, and nil subsidy from the third year onwards. All other tenders

sought an ongoing subsidy, or stated that the publication could not be

produced on a self-funding basis.

(4) Vickers Caley supply 200,000 copies of the Planner to the Commission at

no cost.

(5) A tender process was undertaken, and expressions of interest were sought

from local suppliers. Local suppliers were unable to compete in either

fmancial or conceptual terms with the proposal from Vickers Caley

and/or did not meet the brief which was distributed by the Public Affairs

Unit.

(6) The first year payment of $50,000 represents a significant saving for the

Commission. The Commission has on a previous occasion produced the

Planner (then known as the Travellers Guide) internally at a cost of some

$200,000. In addition, substantial pressure was placed on the staff of the

Commission in undertaking the sale of advertising, a task for which the

Commission is not resourced or experienced. With the funding drop in

the second year, the savings margin increases dramatically, and from the

third year, the publication becomes self-funding.

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