Go Local to boost economy, jobs

Council is supporting the Go Local First campaign, which encourages shoppers to take small steps that can make a big difference to locally-owned or operated small businesses.

AlburyCity Mayor Kevin Mack said the campaign would harness the power of the local community to support local businesses and their employees.

“There are many easy things we can all do to help,” he said.

“Simply having a ‘staycation’ in our own beautiful region rather than travelling away directs money into local pockets but if you can’t do that, recommending a local business to friends or online is a great way of stimulating trade and letting our business operators know we’re thinking of them at a tough time.”

To support the campaign, the Albury Northside Chamber of Commerce has developed a web page showcasing local businesses, and the Council’s Economic Development team is adding to the support by asking businesses to email a picture and small blurb to [email protected], with the content to be promoted on social media.

The owner of Lighting Bonanza in Albury, Stephen Porter, urged shoppers to go local, saying the support would have positive spin-offs for the entire community.

“Many businesses are doing it tough because of COVID-19 at the moment but by shopping locally, people can get great goods and services while at the same time ensuring their money stays in our community and creates jobs for local people,” he said.

Cr Mack said economic modelling produced for Council showed shopping at local businesses had an enormous positive impact on our economy.

“In the retail sector, if $100 is spent on a locally-owned business, more than $27 of that expenditure goes to local wages and salaries while more than $69 remains right here in our community,” he said.

“By comparison, that $100 spent at online stores outside of Albury Wodonga generates no wages for local people and only $3.87 remains in our community – making it very clear that going local first is good for all of us.”

Go Local First is a national initiative dedicated to supporting small businesses which contribute to a third of Australia’s economic activity and pay wages to more than half the country’s workforce.