We Must Buy Australian Made

10 Aug 11

Mining continues to boom on the back of strong Chinese demand but Manufacturing continues to struggle with the headwinds of the high dollar, lack of protection against cheaper imports, skills issues, lack of government support and soon to come, a very unpopular tax on carbon emmissions.

What are Australia's governments doing to protect Australia's manufacturing base which contributes 10 per cent of GDP and represents 10 per cent of Australia's workforce (Mining 7 per cent and 2 per cent respectively)?

A lack of policy to support domestic manufacturing, and indeed the purchasing practices of governments is of no assistance to our manufacturing industry which is renowned the world over for quality, high precision and engineering excellence.

Over the last week alone we have seen Melbourne based engineering firm Production Parts fall into the hands of receivers, a firm renowned the world over for its engineering excellence and innovation in the aerospace sphere.

SPC has announced that their Mooroopna manufacturing plant in Victoria, which processes canned tomatoes and tomato paste will close, leading to the loss of around 150 jobs. It had been a part of the local community for 70 years.

Perth-based Kresta, Australia's largest curtains and blinds manufacturer, has announced it will outsource venetian blind manufacturing to Asia. In a bid to reduce costs, Kresta will also stop producing curtains in Perth.

This work will be taken up by its Brisbane facilty, where there is spare capacity. Overall Kresta's workforce of more than 1,000 will be reduced by 72, including staff that will be made redundant as Kresta invests in automated manufacturing technology.

Australia once rode off the sheeps back which diminished, then manufacturing came to the fore as a large employer, and provider of a quality standard of living, now diminishing, what happens to Australia when the mining boom diminishes?