MAYORAL candidate Jack Dempsey says he will introduce new policies to keep work local if he is elected mayor.

Mr Dempsey said by ensuring local contractors were sought more opportunities would be available, keeping more people employed.

"We need to take into account the local economic conditions and a greater weighing to the local contractors and tenders," he said.

"The policy will always look for best value for rate payers."

He said it would not only focus on the building industry but everything from paperclips to buildings.

"It would be desks to dozers, focusing on quality with an emphasis on boosting local jobs and the economy."

The candidate said two examples of work completed by outside businesses were the netball courts and the multi-purpose centre.

"The council tendered out the netball courts to a south-east company," he said.

"Local business are unable to compete with the processes and the bureaucracy.

"And because of the economical scale they (the local companies) can't afford to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars with the extra compliance.

"We need a local council who looks first at local opportunities."

His rivals for the Bundaberg mayoralty generally agreed with Mr Dempsey.

Elise Cottam said it should already be happening.

"Local economic conditions would not be an issue if the contracts and tenders were being sourced locally," Ms Cottam said.

Reid Schirmer said it was a difficult principle to argue against.

"It just seems like common sense to do this," Mr Schirmer said.

Peter Wyatt said he was all for local workers, value for money would still have to be a major consideration.

"If local traders were suited to the project it would be in the contract for the winner to employ local people," Mr Wyatt said.

Troy Madle said he had always said that to keep as much work local is the only way to strengthen our region's economy.

"I have been told that to comply with the State Government tendering guidelines it is expensive, and difficult to get through the endless paper work, especially for smaller contractors.

"Talking to several contractors, they have tried endlessly to get on board the Bundaberg Regional Council system without any luck.

"Also they have informed me often it is not the price that is the reason for them missing out."

Mr Madle agreed with Mr Wyatt that giving weight to local tenderers had to be balanced against getting value for money for the region.