The Buala Market redevelopment, constructed by a local Solomon Islands firm, demonstrates the economic benefits from maximising local content in infrastructure investments.

Using the Local Multiplier 3 (LM3) model, that measures how effectively money invested in a community stays and grows within it by tracking the journey of each dollar spent locally, the Buala market redevelopment was shown to deliver a fair economic benefit to the Buala region, and high benefit to the Solomon Islands.

Buala faces several constraints due to a limited local supply chain and a heavy reliance on Honiara as the primary port and supply hub for imported goods and materials.

Designing for increased local participation at the outset, particularly in countries such as Solomon Islands, is a critical ‘lever’ that project design consultants can use to increase the multiplier economic benefits of infrastructure delivery.

This project delivered on Australia's commitment to local content for Solomon Islands, with opportunities for greater economic impact in the community dependent upon advances in the local supply chain and skilled workforce.