Council
24 May, 2023
Council policy changes to benefit local business
Somerset Regional Council has adopted changes to its Procurement Policy to provide greater advantage to local suppliers compared to other suppliers from outside the region.
Economic Recovery Sub-Group representative Councillor Bob Whalley (pictured) said this was a positive step forward.
“Council calls quotations for the supply of goods and services up to defined thresholds,” Cr Whalley said.
“What we have changed are the thresholds. We have increased quotation thresholds for most purchases from local suppliers from $2,000 to $4,000, while purchases from non-local suppliers have a quotation threshold of $2,000, up from $1,000.
“This will make dealing with local suppliers easier and faster, for both the supplier and Council officers and provide increased impetus for buying local.
“We need to keep money circulating within our community for as long as possible.
“The Queensland Government Statistician’s Office has reported an unemployment rate for Somerset at December 2022 of 6.8% compared to the rate for Queensland overall of 3.9%.
“We are awarding record numbers of contracts to local suppliers with our 2022 annual report showing more than $18 million in payments to just 12 suppliers last financial year.
“There is more we can do however, and we are confident that these latest procurement policy changes will provide the appropriate balance between local economic development and appropriate financial management.”
