The new Clarence Valley Council depot in South Grafton will lead to 54 additional local jobs during the construction phase and ongoing savings to ratepayers of about $1 million a year, a Clarence Valley Council (CVC) media release states. Modelling done by council shows there will be 8.9 direct jobs, 18.6 indirect jobs and 26.5 consumption-related jobs while the depot is being built. The first demolition work for the new $13.5 million depot, at the corner of Rushforth Road and Tyson Street in South Grafton, started last week. The new depot will replace five ageing depots across Grafton and South Grafton, which serviced the area prior to the amalgamation of the valley’s councils in 2004. The council’s general manager, Scott Greensill, said the council had developed a database of local contractors interested in working on the new facility and that the list had been made available to the successful contractors, Hutchinson Builders. “We’re hoping as many locals as possible will get work out of this,” he said. Sub contractors or suppliers who have already gained business through the project include: • First National Real Estate: house rental • Coates Hire: Coffs Harbour • Flexi Hire: Grafton • Holmes Excavation: Hard stand material for office laydown: Casino • JR Richard: rubbish skip bin hire: Grafton • Coffs Coast Temp Fence Hire: temporary fencing hire: Grafton • Valley Earth Works: small machine hire site establishment: Grafton • Daryl Smith Electrical: Temporary connection works: Grafton • McGrath Electrical: site electrical repair works: Grafton • Gary Gillespie: temporary connection works: Grafton • A Fletcher Surveying: onsite surveying package: Grafton • All Areas Demolition: onsite demolition package: Grafton • GHD Environmental Consultants: Coffs Harbour • Cavvanba Consulting: Consulting Auditing: Byron Bay • Concrete Supply: Holcim: Grafton • Crane Hire: Wicks and Parker: Grafton • Concrete Pumping: Coast Wide Concrete Pumping Grafton (List provided by Hutchinson Builders)