How local businesses have been building BORR
One of the key sustainability outcome targets on the Bunbury Outer Ring Road (BORR) project was to invest $450 million into the local South West community through procurement with local businesses.
Published: 18 June 2024, Updated: 18 June 2024
The Local Business Advisory Group was formed during the initial planning and development stages of BORR. Made up of representatives from the South West business sector, the civil contractors’ industry and state government agencies, the Group helped to establish a suitable and effective local industry participation framework.
The Group, in addition to contributing to the framework development, helped facilitate communication and collaboration with local businesses and stakeholders. Their contributions and insights allowed the BORR team to identify opportunities for further engagement with local industry and best prepare suppliers, construction crews and contractors for the work requirements needed for the project.
Additionally, the Group allowed the BORR team to identify risks and implement mitigation strategies to reduce the barriers that may have otherwise prevented smaller, local and Aboriginal businesses from being able to engage with BORR.
Local business Reef to Range working on BORR
Local business and Aboriginal Business spend
Once the project kicked off, the Group helped to monitor the performance of the project team and ensure that throughout BORR’s construction, the agreed targets were on track and being met.
The important contribution of the Group allowed BORR to surpass its local investment target. As of April 2024, to end April 2024, $456.1 million has been spent on local business procurement with a further $103.1 million committed in future spend. This exceeds the target of $450 million and is a reflection of the Group’s success in guiding the project team towards successful local industry participation.
These achievements made the site tour a few weeks ago all the more rewarding. Members of the Group were invited to join the project team for a tour along the alignment to personally see the progress that has been made over the last few years.
Group members spoke to multiple local businesses onsite and currently working on BORR and heard about their experiences first-hand.
If you would like to find out more about business engagement on the project, you can reach out to our Local Content Advisor, Scott Radici by phone on 1800 979 770 or via email at scott.radici@swgateway.com.au.
The Local Business Advisory Group on the site tour