Rates & spending · Shoalhaven City Council
Shoalhaven local suppliers keep existing purchasing policy after deferral bid fails
Councillors voted 11-2 to retain the Local Preference Policy unchanged, with its effectiveness and financial impact due for reassessment in four years.
Reporting from public council minutes. How this article was prepared
Local suppliers and contractors will continue to be considered under Shoalhaven City Council’s existing Local Preference Policy after councillors rejected a proposal to defer its review until after a workshop, according to unconfirmed public minutes.
The deferral motion, moved by Clr Denise Kemp and seconded by Clr Luciano Casmiri, was lost by five votes to eight at the 27 October council meeting. The minutes then record a resolution to endorse the policy without change under MIN26.401.
The final recorded vote was 11-2, with Clr Casmiri and Clr Kemp opposing the resolution. Council also resolved that the policy’s effectiveness and financial impact be reassessed in four years.
The public minutes do not reproduce the policy’s tender criteria or explain how local preference is applied when suppliers compete for Council work. They therefore establish continuity of the current policy, but not whether a local business will receive an advantage in any particular procurement process.
This account treats the minutes as unconfirmed because their confirmation line is dated 24 November 2026, after the 30 October source check.
What deserves a closer look
The resolution retains the current policy but does not set an interim review date or reproduce the criteria used to assess suppliers.
The record supports continuity of the policy, but it does not establish how local preference affects any individual tender or whether a local supplier receives an automatic advantage.
The confirmation line is dated after the supplied source-check date, so this account treats the minutes as unconfirmed.
Questions for follow-up reporting
What criteria will Council use to assess the policy's effectiveness and financial impact in four years?
How is local preference applied in supplier assessment or tender scoring under the existing policy?
Will Council publish procurement or local-supplier outcomes before the four-year reassessment?
What happens next
Council is to reassess the Local Preference Policy's effectiveness and financial impact in four years, under the resolution recorded in the unconfirmed minutes.
Check the record
These passages were matched to the source text. Read them in context in the original minutes.
The proposal to defer consideration of the Local Preference Policy until after a Councillor Workshop was lost by five votes to eight.
Endorse the Local Preference Policy without change. 2. The effectiveness and the financial impact of the Local Preference Policy to be reassessed by Council in four (4) years. MOTION (Clr Kemp / Clr Casmiri) That this policy be deferred for consideration following a Councillor Workshop. FOR: Mayor White, Clr Wilkins, Clr Proudfoot, Clr Casmiri and Clr Kemp AGAINST: Clr Killian, Clr Boyd, Clr Tribe, Clr Krikstolaitis, Clr Norris, Clr Dunn, Clr Clancy and Clr Steele LOST (FORESHADOWED) RESOLVED (Clr Tribe / Clr Krikstolaitis) MIN26.401 That Council: 1.
CL26.274
Open original minutes ↗Council resolved under MIN26.401 to endorse the Local Preference Policy without change and reassess its effectiveness and financial impact in four years.
FOR: Mayor White, Clr Wilkins, Clr Proudfoot, Clr Casmiri and Clr Kemp AGAINST: Clr Killian, Clr Boyd, Clr Tribe, Clr Krikstolaitis, Clr Norris, Clr Dunn, Clr Clancy and Clr Steele LOST (FORESHADOWED) RESOLVED (Clr Tribe / Clr Krikstolaitis) MIN26.401 That Council: 1. Endorse the Local Preference Policy without change. 2. The effectiveness and the financial impact of the Local Preference Policy to be reassessed by Council in four (4) years. FOR: Mayor White, Clr Wilkins, Clr Killian, Clr Boyd, Clr Tribe, Clr Krikstolaitis, Clr Norris, Clr Dunn, Clr Proudfoot, Clr Clancy and Clr Steele AGAINST: Clr Casmiri and Clr Kemp CARRIED Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting 27 October 2026 Page 15 Minutes Confirmed Tuesday 24 November 2026 – Chairperson .........................................................................
MIN26.401
Open original minutes ↗The resolution was recorded as carried with 11 councillors voting for it and Clr Casmiri and Clr Kemp voting against.
Endorse the Local Preference Policy without change. 2. The effectiveness and the financial impact of the Local Preference Policy to be reassessed by Council in four (4) years. FOR: Mayor White, Clr Wilkins, Clr Killian, Clr Boyd, Clr Tribe, Clr Krikstolaitis, Clr Norris, Clr Dunn, Clr Proudfoot, Clr Clancy and Clr Steele AGAINST: Clr Casmiri and Clr Kemp CARRIED Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting 27 October 2026 Page 15 Minutes Confirmed Tuesday 24 November 2026 – Chairperson .........................................................................
MIN26.401
Open original minutes ↗The supplied minutes identify the meeting date as 27 October 2026 and carry a confirmation line dated 24 November 2026.
Minutes Confirmed Tuesday 24 November 2026 – Chairperson ......................................................................... Meeting Minutes MINUTES OF THE ORDINARY MEETING Meeting Date: Tuesday, 27 October 2026 Location: Council Chambers, City Administrative Building, Bridge Road, Nowra Time: 5:30 PM The following members were present: Mayor Patricia White - Chairperson Clr Peter Wilkins (Remotely) Clr Debbie Killian (Remotely) – joined at 5:35pm Clr Gillian Boyd Clr Jemma Tribe Clr Ben Krikstolaitis Clr Matthew Norris Clr Karlee Dunn Clr Bob Proudfoot Clr Luciano Casmiri Clr Selena Clancy Clr Brett Steele Clr Denise Kemp (Remotely) A
Document opening and confirmation line
Open original minutes ↗Source record
Reporting from Shoalhaven City Council’s public minutes for the Ordinary Meeting held on 27 October 2026, treated as unconfirmed because their confirmation line is dated 24 November 2026, after the 30 October source check.
Key facts from the minutes
- The unconfirmed minutes record that Council resolved under MIN26.401 to endorse the Local Preference Policy without change.
- A proposed deferral for consideration after a Councillor Workshop was lost, with five votes for and eight against.
- The policy’s effectiveness and financial impact are to be reassessed in four years.
- The final resolution was recorded as carried with 11 councillors voting for it and two against.
- The minutes do not specify the policy’s detailed tender criteria or any interim review measures.
Why it matters
- Local suppliers and contractors remain subject to Shoalhaven Council’s existing local-preference purchasing framework. The record provides no near-term review date or detail about how the policy affects individual tenders.