By Kyra Gillespie
Cardinia councillors paid tribute to the work Adam Sadiqzai does for the community at their last official meeting for the year on Monday 10 December.
Their praise came as it was announced that his company, Khans Hospitality Services, had regained the catering contract for the Cardinia Cultural Centre.
Khans has been involved at the venue since it opened in 2003 and, as principal, Mr Sadiqzai has been heavily involved in the Casey and Cardinia community for the past 15 years.
Mr Sadiqzai and his family received full support from the Cardinia councillors, with a few taking the time to thank him for all his work in the community.
“The family is well known for its generosity,“ Cardinia Mayor Graeme Moore said. “I know Adam is a very humble man and wouldn’t like me to say too much, but he does put back into the community as more than just a catering organisation.
“He and his family give real community strength to us in Cardinia and I want to thank him from the mayoral chair for his generosity throughout the years.”
Deputy mayor Cr Collin Ross also shared some kind words about Mr Sadiqzai and his family.
“Adam and his group will often put in for people who are facing hardship and will help with a solution – and he does that through goodwill; he doesn’t do it because he has to, the contract doesn’t say that he has to do that,” Cr Ross said.
“Whenever we’ve got an important event Adam will be there front and centre. He doesn’t send in other people, he will talk to you directly and I just think that is a really great thing that we’ve got in our community.
“When the GFC hit and people weren’t spending much money he didn’t pike out and walk away, he said: ‘No, I believe in the community, I’m going to hang in there’. And he’s hung through the tough times. He really adds to the community; our community would be much poorer without him and his organisation.”
Expressions of interest for the cultural centre catering contract were advertised on 8 September and closed 16 September.
Tenders were evaluated against a variety of criteria, including food safety, social responsibility, innovation and past performance.
There was an extensive evaluation process which included written applications, first round interviews, referee checks, second round interviews and endorsement by an independent probity auditor appointed by council.
Mr Sadiqzai was smiling from ear to ear, surrounded by family, when the unanimous vote was carried in the council chambers.
