Post CoronaVirus a new Dawn for Australia’s Manufacturing
Nick Sas and Brendan Esposito bring this Report on “Australia’s manufacturing pivot in a post-coronavirus world as COVID-19 creates ‘new era’ for the economy”
‘Almost 30 years ago, Sydney-based business Almec created parts for the gaming industry.‘
The Abbott Government pulled its $10M funding for the Australian Interactive Media Fund … which instantly robbed many young Australians of a career they yearned for; a sector that has been very profitable overseas
Another example that it would appear bears out Turnbull’s description of Abbott …
A decade later Almec built mobile phone antennas for Telstra — before that work moved to China.
Then the factory turned to lighting and small-scale construction supply, until — you guessed it — most of that went offshore too.
Today Almec, a “bespoke” sheet metal fabrication business, is focused on “filling the gaps in the market” in medical and building supplies
In order to survive the company has … kept diversifying
The CoronaVirus has led to shortages of components and products, and business in Australia soon learnt they had an over-reliance on supplies from China …
NOW a consortium of Australian manufacturers are producing ventilators, and a few companies are mass-producing PPE
Professor Roy Green, a manufacturing sector expert said other countries have kick-started manufacturing, and Australia can do it!
-a manufacturing task force has been set up
.with a focus on sectors such as food, defence, mining, medical and engineering, and the space sector
-and the lithium sector
.yet Australia exports the raw product to China!
HOWEVER last year a $135M lithium battery research centre was announced designed to change that!
AMWU National Secretary Paul Bastian has called for a more collaborative approach between government, industry and workers.
Ms Pennington, a senior economist at the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work, said it was clear Australia — and the world — was entering a new era.
“We’ve all had the thought that manufacturing is dirty, it’s old, we’re too slow and too expensive,” she said. “Things will be different now.”
And Lil Taylor has one wish for Almec’s 30th birthday party.
“I hope that the COVID-19 crisis sees the Government and other companies across the board reassess their supply chains and look locally to fill, if not all, at least some of their orders,” she said.
“It will help protect the manufacturing industry so that it is there when they need it most.”
READ THE FULL REPORT:
COMMUNITY ACTION ALLIANCE FOR NSW (CAAN): HOUSING INEQUALITY WITH AUSSIES LOCKED OUT! 