Here's your $3.58 made-in-China medal ... Queenslander The Premier's Gift Medallions features the Cooktown orchid and the Queensland Coat of Arms. Pics Adam Head Source: News Limited PREMIER Campbell Newman has opted to have personalised gift medals minted in China despite trumpeting a "buy local live local" campaign on his website. The Premier's Gift Medallions, featuring the Cooktown orchid and the Queensland Coat of Arms, are handed out to dignitaries during official visits. The move, which sees the medals produced for seven times less than what it would cost here in Australia, has outraged suppliers who have accused the State and Federal governments of not practising what they preach. A ministerial briefing note, approved by Mr Newman in January, recommended the medallions be made in China because they cost $3.58 each, compared with $27.72 in Queensland. It stated an initial production run cost $1790 for 500 of Mr Newman's "personal" medals and $6945 for 500 larger, 70mm "generic" Queensland Government medallions. The latter cost $8.11 each to produce in China, compared to $42.57 locally. "Your personal medallion will be 40mm in size with the round plastic capsule and is the same size as your previous Lord Mayor's medallion," the brief, which was obtained under Right to Information laws, on behalf of the Premier's director-general Jon Grayson, said. Note that the medallion you used as Lord Mayor was manufactured overseas. A spokesman for Mr Newman said: "The department's recommendation the medallions be produced in China was accepted as the almost 800 per cent lower cost for the personal medallions represented the best value for taxpayers' money." However, on his website Mr Newman spruiks the importance of buying local. Owner of Medal Makers at Underwood, Ian Stuart, said it was impossible to compete with China. "We're not competing with a level playing field ," he said. Australian Made Campaign CEO Ian Harrison said it was embarrassing the gifts were cheap imports. "You can't give a visiting dignitary a medal that was made in China," he said.