The Clutha District Council has vowed to give local businesses a chance when it buys goods and services rather than prioritising suppliers preferred by the Government. However, local business owner Jared McPhee told the outgoing council last week he believed the AOG contracts meant local businesses missed out on several contracts with the council. The outgoing council discussed on Thursday a ''buy local premium'' proposal which would encourage a preference for local businesses, by allowing a premium variation when considering local tenders. A ''local'' was defined as a resident or ratepayer in the Clutha district or an organisation that employed Clutha district residents. He wanted to see the council stick to its word by prioritising local suppliers.

Source: Otago Daily Times October 10, 2016 17:16 UTC