I share the community’s outrage over calls from Tweed Shire Mayor Katie Milne to boycott local businesses who are engaged to work on the new Tweed Hospital.
Through the planning processes with NSW Health Infrastructure, I have been working tirelessly to ensure as much work as possible goes to local businesses and contractors to boost our local workforce. These comments from Clr Milne jeopardise those discussions.
Building the new Tweed Hospital provides an opportunity for local businesses, big and small, to be a part of one of the biggest Government investments in Tweed’s history.
Clr Milne’s comments are a direct attack on our local workforce. They are threatening in their nature and show a complete disregard for local businesses.
The Mayor should not only provide a full apology to the Tweed community, but I believe she has shown her inability to lead an effective council, and therefore should tender her resignation.
Geoff Provest MP
Member for Tweed
FOR BACKGROUND
- Over 20% of businesses in the Tweed are in the construction industry.
- This represents the largest industry sector in the Tweed.
- Over 98% of businesses in the Tweed are considered small businesses.