From the General Manager's desk | June 2026

Published on 09 June 2026

From the GMs desk_Glen Duff_news article

Article by Glen Duff, General Manager

Responding to volatile market conditions

Queensland councils continue to manage the impacts of global fuel price instability. Ongoing geopolitical developments are continuing to increase uncertainty across pricing, availability, and logistics. Current market commentary indicates that, if conditions persist, fuel supply disruptions may occur as early as August, with broader supply chain impacts emerging in the coming months – particularly for products reliant on petrochemical inputs, such as plastic piping.

Local Buy is actively monitoring these developments and their implications for procurement and supply chains in Australia. We encourage all Queensland councils to share any relevant insights or emerging issues to enquiry@localbuy.net.au so we can ensure the sector’s interests are effectively represented through the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) at state and federal levels.

Investing in sector capability

As councils plan for the next financial year, demand for practical, sector-wide procurement support continues to grow. Budgets are harder to balance and leveraging Local Buy’s Arrangements will save councils time and money and reduce risk. In response to feedback from councils of all sizes, we are increasing our investment in procurement solutions, capability initiatives, and sector leadership.

We will shortly commence development of our Industry Capability Program, designed to deliver meaningful support to councils through a range of initiatives that strengthen procurement capability. Over the coming months, we will consult with Queensland councils to ensure this program is targeted and delivers maximum impact across the sector. Further updates will be shared in the coming months.

AI in procurement

Artificial intelligence presents a significant opportunity to reshape procurement, shifting the function from a largely transactional role to one that is increasingly data-driven, predictive, and strategic. From automating processes to enabling deeper insights into spend, supplier performance, and risk, AI is equipping procurement teams to operate more efficiently and make more informed decisions.

For the local government sector, this creates a clear opportunity to enhance value, strengthen capability, and improve service delivery outcomes – while also requiring careful consideration of governance, data integrity, and responsible adoption.

Local Buy is actively exploring AI-enabled solutions, cutting through the noise to focus on practical, value-driven applications. In parallel, Unimarket – our procurement technology platform used by all 77 Queensland councils – is progressing AI capability within the platform, ensuring our funded sector-wide technology offering remains contemporary and fit for purpose.

We will explore this topic in more detail over the coming months.

Welcome to the Local Buy team

This month, we welcome two key appointments to strengthen our organisational capability.

Shez Mussa has joined as Manager – Business Development, leading our engagement function. The engagement team includes Liz Macfarlan, Jeremy Walker, and Audrey Dobell, who work closely with the 77 Queensland councils in meeting their needs.
Allison Parkin has joined as Strategic Capability Manager, leading the development and delivery of sector-wide capabiliay initiatives that create value to buyers and suppliers.

These appointments reflect our ongoing commitment to the sector.

Looking Forward

As we move further toward the new financial year, several themes are emerging:

Procurement resilience will remain a strategic priority. Councils will need to plan for continued market instability, supply chain disruption and pricing pressure, with stronger emphasis on risk management, flexibility and forward planning.
Digital and data capability will increasingly shape procurement performance. Technology, automation and better use of data will continue to influence how procurement is delivered, governed and improved across the sector.
Collaboration and coordinated sector solutions will become more important. As pressures grow, councils are likely to place greater value on aggregated solutions, sector-wide initiatives and trusted partners that can provide scale, capability and practical support. This is where Local Buy Arrangements can help simplify procurement practices in local government and other buying organisations.

We are stronger together and remain focused on delivering the leadership, capability, and sector-wide procurement technology and solutions and access to pre-qualified suppliers on which councils rely.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out at enquiry@localbuy.net.au.

Local Buy and the local government sector

Local Buy, as part of the LGAQ, is the only organisation under the Local Government Regulation 2012 (LGR) able to create Local Government Association (LGA) Arrangements. Every Arrangement we provide is pre-qualified and compliant to the LGR, protecting your council’s obligations and reducing risk. Our solutions have received Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply ANZ awards for innovation and impact, reinforcing Local Buy’s position as the peak procurement body in Queensland offering a strong range of products and services respected in the industry for over 25 years.

As part of the LGAQ, all profits generated by Local Buy are reinvested to support councils and communities across Queensland. This commitment ensures that when you choose Local Buy Arrangements, you are choosing a solution that puts your council first and strengthens the broader local government sector.

All the best,

Glen Duff
General Manager