Chamber wants Southland businesses to hold council contracts

Thursday, 16 May 2019

Southland Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Sheree Carey.

Southland Chamber of Commerce has thrown its full support behind Southland disAbility Enterprises in SDE's quest to retain WasteNet's region-wide wheelie bin recycling contract.

Chamber chief executive Sheree Carey released a statement on Thursday backing SDE, which is a member of the Chamber.

SDE, which employs 82 people with disabilities, went public last week highlighting that it was not the preferred tenderer for the WasteNet contract.

The tender process is still live with a WasteNet evaluation team negotiating with a preferred candidate.

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It will then report its recommendations to the WasteNet Advisory Group at the end the month, before the Advisory Group then made a recommendation to the three councils to decide on at meetings on June 4 and 5.

The Chamber backed SDE with Carey believing it had a great business model, a proven track record, a strong governing board and had been nominated for multiple local and national awards.

Carey felt if the WasteNet contract was to go to a non-Southland provider it would have devastating effects on Southland.

Feedback from members in the Southland business community supported the contract staying with a Southland-owned and operated company, Carey said.

'The ideal scenario for those holding our council contracts are Southland owned businesses with their head offices and factories based here, employing locals.'

'I encourage councillors to vote with humanitarianism in mind and not base their decision on money alone. They have a social responsibility to their community. Are any savings worth the social cost to our community?'.