Council
24 August, 2024
Somerset spends over $36M local
Somerset Regional Council has spent $36.5 million with local businesses and suppliers in the 2023-2024 financial year, coming in at nearly 120 per cent of Council’s total rates and charges revenue for the financial year.
These figures are more than double of the 2023 financial years spend.
Somerset Mayor Jason Wendt said the greatest impact Council can make in supporting the business sector, including many small businesses, is spending directly with them to complete council projects.
“Each dollar we spend locally has every chance of multiplying and being spent a second and third time locally to help us support our business community and their workforce,” he said.
“Council is actively using local weightings in tender selection criteria to give local businesses every opportunity to work with us.
“This is the process that has been successful for local suppliers on projects like the current flood recovery program.”
Elevated levels of expenditure have been possible in large part due to State and Federal Government grants.
