Council spending surges at local businesses

By increasing its investment in the community, Council has helped fuel a $907 million economic impact in the 2023/24 financial year.

The latest State of Procurement Report shows just how much spending locally pays off, with Council contributing 4.3% to the Cairns Gross Regional Product and supporting nearly 3,900 local jobs.

With $384 million - 88% of Council’s total expenditure - spent at Cairns businesses, that’s a $46 million boost from last year.

According to the latest data, the Cairns economy has grown to $11.46 billion, marking a 5.06% increase from the previous year.

Mayor Amy Eden said Council continues to play a vital role in growing the local economy.

“The report shows just how important it is for us to keep buying local,” Cr Eden said.

“Through our local focus on spending, Council was the catalyst for almost one billion dollars of investment across the region last year. The ripple effect of Council’s expenditure with local businesses supports 3,889 jobs.”

The local $110 million capital works expenditure is estimated to have supported 1,112 jobs through construction projects.

Key insights about the local economy include:

Local employment has risen to 88,563 jobs, reflecting a 4.86 percent growth.Cairns’ consumer expenditure remains steady at $5.4 billion in the year to June 2024.The labour market remains challenging with 2.8% unemployment in the Cairns Local Government Area as of March 2024. Of Council’s total expenditure for 2023/24, 88% was local. In terms of the remaining 12%, there was no local option for 4%, non-local suppliers were used for 5% and the remaining 3% is attributable to government expenditure.

The full State of Procurement Report is available on Council’s website.