Jenny Mckay - Sunshine Coast Regional Councillor to talk on the importance of Buying Locally

Ensuring a future for our Independent Businesses
Cr Jenny Mckay, local councillor for the Sunshine Coast Regional Council, will give a short address to the launch of the hinterland's `Think Local First - Sunshine Coast' initiative on Saturday June 27th in Maleny.

The night of food and festivities is aiming to build on the hinterland community's strong `can do' attitude.

"You know we always try to give our kids financial literacy skills but now we want to give out the message we need to do the same for the economy." says Darren Mitchell, a keen advocate of economic localisation and co-ordinator of the Baroon Dollar Project.

Think Local First!

"We have the same responsibility for the economy. Fixing the GFC is about us fixing our local economy first! We can do that by shifting more of our spending to local independent businesses and in time also shifting our investments."

"It's not about people being more protectionist or parochial it's about growing our regional and rural economies in sustainable and resilient ways - so that the communities and independent businesses have a future. Our `Think Local First - Sunshine Coast' initiative aims to build a new type of regional independent business alliance along the lines of BALLE in the United States. Buying locally has always been in our psyche and culture but we need new ways to educate the community about how money and resources leak out of the economy and the damage that does."

"In the past campaigns to Buy Australian did the job but now that's not enough - we need to shift more of our spending locally - putting our own community first. "

"We are also keen to address the policy oversight of current governments in their partisan approach to local procurement and economic development. We need a public discussion of the subsidies handed out for the big end of town. We want to expose some of the myths of economic development and start discussing the real economy. The real mum and dad businesses in our home towns."

Local businessman and owner of Maleny IGA, Rob Outridge (pictured right) recently made these comments on the importance of buying locally.

"I do feel passionately about keeping local dollars in the local community however! If a community can keep it’s dollars circulating, I believe it has a beneficial multiplier effect. For example; say the IGA makes a profit and decides to repaint the interior of the store; Local Painter gets paid and makes a profit.Painter pays his employees out of the profit made.Employees spend money at local outlets.And the money re-circulates within the community. Imagine if the chain gets broken; IGA pays local painter.Local painter pays his employees.Employees shop down the Coast. The chain is broken and that money is lost to the community."

Cr Anna Grosskreutz whilst unable to attend the launch was eager to share her thoughts on our project.

"The notion of Local First is a recognition of changing times. With the need to draw back financially and reassess our lifestyles due to global recessions it is a great time to pause and do a community stock take as well. There are many reasons we could and should shop locally wherever possible. Many of these reasons support sustainability. When we purchase locally we help to grow other local businesses. Local businesses donate back to community through a wide range of organisations and community groups. There are less transport costs on buying and shopping locally. Small business is the backbone of the Australian Economy.
In agricultural regions such as the GlassHouse Country Region we could consider the "Eat Local Challenge". "