Toowoomba Chamber, Toowoomba Regional Council face off over campaign to support local business
A new campaign has called for local businesses to be treated even more favourably by the Toowoomba Regional Council with tenders. Now the deputy mayor has responded.
Council
Don't miss out on the headlines from Council. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Toowoomba’s deputy mayor has responded to a new campaign calling for the council to weight its procurement even more heavily in favour of local businesses.
The Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce has already earned more than 100 signatures on a petition for its “Give Locals A Fairer Go” campaign, which it says would return more ratepayer money back into the local economy.
The push involves increasing the local procurement policy weighting from 10 per cent to 25 per cent.
In plain terms, if an outside business quoted $100,000 for a council contract and the local operator offered $125,000, the two quotes would be given the same monetary value.
In his column in The Chronicle this week, Chamber CEO Todd Rohl said the move would “stimulate local economic development, enable businesses to flourish and retain jobs in the city”.
Deputy Mayor Geoff McDonald said he welcomed feedback on the council’s policies, but noted the organisation needed to balance its support for local businesses against getting the best price for services and goods.
“Toowoomba Regional Council is committed to supporting its local suppliers which has been reflected in several changes to our procurement policy over the past 18 months,” he said.
“This resulted in an increase to the weighting for local suppliers as part of our procurement process, as well as extra weighting for local suppliers in regional areas inside the Toowoomba region.
“While council is committed to supporting local suppliers, we also must ensure we’re making decisions which have the greatest benefit for our region more broadly.
“To do this, we must take into account a number of considerations when procuring, such as the experience of the supplier, the skills and quality of the service they deliver an understanding of the scope as well as local supplier weighting.”
Toowoomba Chamber events manager Kim Donaldson said community feedback indicated people would be happy to see more money flow to local businesses even if it led to a rates increase.
“The feedback we’re getting from the local community is for the council to stay local for skills, jobs and supplier contracts,” she said.
Ex-Brisbane City CEO joins Toowoomba council as interim chief
The Toowoomba Regional Council’s new interim chief executive was responsible for a budget worth more than $4.3bn last year. Here will be the priorities during his short contract:
‘Horrifying’: Residents take council to court over new childcare centre
The Toowoomba Regional Council has been taken to court by residents opposing a new childcare centre on a major intersection, which locals say has been the site of serious crashes.
‘No clear message’: Council faces heat over big carnival changes
Toowoomba business owners want more input and feedback on the future of the Carnival of Flowers, after it was revealed the Festival of Food and Wine was facing the chop for 2025.
‘Step forward’: Focus of next Toowoomba leaders summit revealed
Toowoomba’s leaders from three levels of government will finally meet again for the first time in nine months — and one major issue will be on the agenda.
‘What are they hiding?’: Major Carnival event’s future now in doubt
The Toowoomba Regional Council has refused to reveal whether a key event at the Carnival of Flowers will return in 2025, as questions have been raised about its future.
Revealed: What could be coming to Highfields’ new town centre
A planned town centre for one of the region’s fastest-growing communities has been updated for the first time in seven years, with residents now able to give feedback on it. What’s new in the plan.