PEOPLE

Mayor’s Message – Summer 2022 Edition

WORDS: Mayor Tom Tate PHOTOGRAPHY Supplied

It’s never been more important to buy local than it is now.

AS we slowly navigate our way out of the Covid-19 pandemic, I have one message I want to encourage all Gold Coasters to do: buy local.

Improved travel conditions across Australia as well as the return of restricted international travel create enormous economic opportunities for our 66,000 small businesses.

Of course, I welcome the easing of restrictions as we clearly need to start to learn to live with Covid rather than take a mystical elimination approach.

I have long said that vaccination is the key to a social and economic pathway out. Vaccination remains an individual’s choice, as it should, but as a double vaccinated local, I know I made the decision to protect myself, my family and the city’s economy. This disease is now truly a ‘virus of the unvaccinated’ and that is being represented through the hospital admission rates across Australia.

What Gold Coasters can do is buy local, as this local investment in shops, cafes, resorts, theme parks, hair salons and hardware stores will ensure our money supports local jobs. Buy local is a concept that has been embraced for decades in Australia and our City has a formal Buy Local policy.

In 2020, that policy was strengthened to extend our support by ensuring “Buy local, Hire local and Grow local” opportunities are considered in all our contracts. As a result, more than 70 per cent of our annual contracting spend ($860 million in 20/21) was awarded to local businesses. Further, the procurement policy favours businesses that have been recognised through the annual GC Business Awards.

As we all get out and about to enjoy Christmas and New Year, let’s ‘think local, shop local and buy local’.

Tom Tate

Mayor