Mayor Phill Stone, left, and Whyalla City Council Manager Assets and Planning Yusuf Khan, right, are pictured with WGA’s Industrial Drafter Elliot Hall at the Whyalla boat ramp project, which has utilised WGA Whyalla’s services.
Whyalla City Council continues to back local business
Whyalla City Council has reinforced its commitment to supporting the local economy, with more than $1.55 million going to local suppliers over recent months.
The latest Quarterly Procurement Report showed that more than 600 purchase orders were spent with local businesses and suppliers. The local expenditure supported a wide range of industries and services throughout the city, including construction, maintenance, waste management, engineering consultancy, traffic management, landscaping, plumbing, catering, security services and event support.
Some of the local businesses benefiting from significant expenditure included A & G D’Orazio & Co (footpath concreting); WGA Whyalla (boat ramp upgrade engineering services and project management); and Rabig Bulk Haulage (airport native vegetation clearance).
Mayor Phill Stone said council recognises the important role local businesses play in driving economic growth, creating jobs and keeping investment circulating within the community.
"Whenever possible, we prioritise purchasing goods and services locally while still ensuring we achieve value for money for ratepayers," Mayor Stone said.
"Every dollar spent with a local supplier helps support local jobs, strengthens businesses and contributes to the overall prosperity of our city. We have a diverse and capable local business sector, so it's great to see that almost two-thirds of council's recent purchase orders were awarded locally."
The report highlights council's ongoing commitment to balancing responsible financial management with support for the local economy, while some specialised goods and services must be sourced from outside the region.
All of council’s tender processes provide a high weighting to local contractors to ensure they are prioritised, provided they’re cost competitive and capable of undertaking the required work.