Spending locally has benefits beyond supporting more local jobs

When it comes to mass-produced goods, globalisation does offer the opportunity to make them cheaper. If your phone or laptop had to be made locally, it's unlikely you'd ever be able to afford it.

However, where you buy that good does still matter. Even if you're particularly savvy when it comes to diagnosing or repairing an item, doing so is going to void any warranty. Therefore having a local vendor who can help you out if there are any issues is definitely worthwhile on any valuable or medium to long-term purchase.

Somewhat tied in with that, availability is another very important characteristic that we've learned to appreciate more and more in recent times. Ordering things from some distance away, especially if it's ordered ahead of the same occasion when everyone else is buying stuff too, can very clearly demonstrate to you that delivery systems currently tend to struggle (or fail) to keep up.

If a local shop has that thing you need though, or they can get it from one of their local suppliers or partners, then that's really quite helpful.

The benefits of sourcing goods and services locally go well beyond availability too. And well beyond the financial benefits of helping a local economy grow.

When there is a lot of economic prosperity, that supports and attracts more people who are actively seeking to participate in the workforce. And when it comes to local amenities, population size matters.

In addition to what the free market will provide by opening more businesses of every kind, the more people there are locally the more public services and infrastructure will need to be provided by all levels of government.

That means hospital upgrades and a greater range of other health services, more and better schools, a more secure water supply, better roads and bridges for transport and logistics which we also get to use, and more public spaces for various pursuits like performing arts centres, museums, libraries, parks, sporting grounds and associated facilities.

That's just a brief sample. Basically there will be more of everything that would have a local politician posing for a photo opportunity when a government grant is given or a project is completed.

This in turn - as that local politician will gleefully point out - will create more job opportunities at least during the construction process. And more jobs means more people which means a greater need for all those other facilities.

In his capacity as minister for regional development, deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce said of an $8.2 million project to construct the Goolwa Oval Recreation Precinct in SA, "This project is delivering a brand new facility that will open up opportunities for a range of activities for the community, including netball, football, cricket, hockey, lawn bowls and tennis."

Of course, he also pointed out the economic benefits, but projects like this are only undertaken where a need is recognised, and the greater a population, the greater a need.

In a different statement about the Australian government's National Water Grid Connections funding pathway, "Connections recognises that small-scale infrastructure projects individually may make localised improvements to water outcomes, while collectively they can make nationally significant contributions to the National Water Grid," Mr Joyce said.