Council bid for Casey tenders

LOCAL businesses could soon get a head start against competitors with Casey Council set to review its tender process.
At last Tuesday’s council meeting Casey deputy mayor Rob Wilson moved that officers report to the council on varying the quality tender evaluation criteria to include preference to local Casey businesses and businesses who hire a high number of Casey residents, including apprentices and trainees.
Mayor Kevin Bradford welcomed the move and said the city needed to help create jobs in its own backyard.
Cr Bradford said 80 per cent of Casey residents left the city to go to work and the council needed to proactively create more opportunities for local employment.
The report will also include the tender practices of other municipalities in regards to local business. Earlier this month, Cr Bradford moved that the council create a policy favouring contractors that employ apprentices.
Casey mayor Kevin Bradford successfully asked that a report be brought forward about how to encourage the use of apprentices when contractors provided works and services for the council.
“We need something in the tender documents that indicates preference to companies that will employ apprentices,” he said.