Figures show Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) invested almost $200 million back into the local business community during the 2024/25 financial year.
At today's Ordinary Meeting of Council, it was reported that TRC had spent $194.3 million with local Toowoomba Region suppliers for the full year 2024/25.
TRC Finance portfolio spokesperson Councillor Tim McMahon said the focussed and intentional efforts of Council in spending its money locally was a positive win for the business community.
"TRC made a strategic decision some years ago to give stronger weighting to local suppliers in our procurement policy and that has paid significant dividends for local businesses.
"We often receive feedback around the sorts of measures Council can, or should, take to support businesses and what better way than to invest almost $200 million back into our local Toowoomba Region economy last financial year.
"In many cases, these are small to medium sized businesses who employ local people who in turn spend their money locally, so this has a really positive economic impact on our local community," Cr McMahon said.
"TRC has a stretch target of 60 percent local spend with Toowoomba Region businesses.
"For the month of June 2025, we achieved this target with 64 percent of our spending done with local suppliers and for the full financial year we were just shy of it, at 57 percent.
"We also have a practice of paying our local suppliers within 14 days of date of invoice which helps them with cashflow and keeping their businesses dynamic and capable. We have something like a 76 percent success rate in achieving payment within 14 days for our local suppliers which is another positive and practical way for us to support the business community.
"The fact that we spent close to $200 million with local suppliers last financial year is a terrific effort and one I'm very proud to be a part of," he said.
The 'Every Time You…' campaign aims to raise awareness of the myriad of ways residents interact with or are supported by TRC services and facilities on a daily basis, sometimes without even knowing it.
