{"id":304577,"date":"2021-08-24T17:08:42","date_gmt":"2021-08-24T07:08:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=304577"},"modified":"2021-08-24T17:08:42","modified_gmt":"2021-08-24T07:08:42","slug":"sbrc-wants-to-spend-5m-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2021\/08\/24\/sbrc-wants-to-spend-5m-more\/","title":{"rendered":"SBRC Wants To Spend $5m More"},"content":{"rendered":"
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South Burnett Regional Council wants to lift the amount it spends with local businesses from $20 million to $25 million a year by 2023 to help foster business development and employment growth<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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South Burnett Mayor Brett Otto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

August 24, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n

South Burnett Regional Council wants to spend an extra $5 million a year with local businesses,<\/p>\n

However, it will only be able to do it if South Burnett businesses register their details on Council’s purchasing systems.<\/p>\n

At this Wednesday’s General Meeting, councillors are expected to approve an “aspirational goal” to expand local purchasing from $20 million to $25 million a year by 2023.<\/p>\n

The move is the latest development in a decade-long process that began in 2012 when former Mayor Wayne Kratzmann introduced a “local buy” scheme to Council’s purchasing activities.<\/strong><\/p>\n

That scheme saw South Burnett businesses get a 2.5 per cent to 10 per cent price preference over non-regional businesses when bidding for Council contracts below a $200,000 ceiling.<\/p>\n

At the time that scheme was introduced, the SBRC was spending an estimated $16 million a year with local suppliers.<\/p>\n

Over the past decade this annual spend has expanded to $20 million and the local buy preference has been simplified to give local suppliers a 10 per cent price advantage for goods or services under $50,000, or 5 per cent for contracts between $50,000 and $200,000.<\/p>\n

At last week’s Finance Standing Committee meeting, Councillors were told that in 2020-21 the SBRC had spent $19.18 million with suppliers in the following towns:<\/strong><\/p>\n