Bunbury’s Dolphin Discovery Centre praised as Alannah MacTiernan announces new regional funding

The Bunbury Dolphin Discovery Centre is a prime example of why new State Government funding was moving ahead, according to Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan.

Ms MacTiernan visited the centre on Friday to announce that $300,000 would be used to further assist the Regional Local Content Initiative to help small and medium size enterprises compete for private sector contracts.

She said there had been a lot of success stories in the South West when local sub-contractors were preferred for projects in the region.

“The centre itself was a very successful local procurement story,” Ms MacTiernan said.

“The work that was done here and along the foreshore have had plenty of local contracting and we’ve got the bypass coming up as well.

“We just want to make sure we create the best opportunities to promote more of that.”

The money will be delivered over a three-year period through the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s Local Content Adviser network.

South West Development Commission principal local content adviser Corina Docking said the network allowed the regional commissions to work together.

“We share ideas and work together, but each of us are able to build relationships with local businesses,” she said.

Bunbury MLA Don Punch said the Government’s jobs legislation continued to present greater opportunities for local sub-contractors to “get into the heads” of lead contractors.

“They are then able to demonstrate the benefit of hiring locally,” he said.

“That’s a conversation we’ll have more often with the development commission over the coming months, particularly as we ramp up to the outer ring road project.”