Australian Made welcomes PM's 'Buy Australian' plan

The Australian Made Campaign has welcomed the Government’s Industry and Innovation Statement with its strong ‘Buy Australian’ focus.

“With Australia’s manufacturing sector under severe pressure, due in no small part to the high Australian dollar, any measures supporting Australian industry – and all the jobs that it sustains – are extremely welcome,” Australian Made Campaign Chief Executive, Ian Harrison said.

“The manufacturing sector is fundamentally important to the Australian economy because of the multiplier effect it has on jobs, skills and training opportunities, exports and innovation.

“The food processing sector – central to the Government’s vision of Australia being a food bowl for Asia – is a major part of that, with particular importance as a regional employer.

“The stakes here are very large,” Mr Harrison said.

Under the new regulations, projects in Australia worth $500 million or more will be required to have an Australian Industry Participation plan. In addition, the anti-dumping system has been strengthened; some common sense identified in encouraging all levels of Government to buy Aussie cars; and a greater emphasis has been placed on innovation, including the establishment of up to ten Industry Innovation Precincts, with manufacturing and food as the first two.

The Australian Made Campaign is currently working strategically to link manufacturers with the major projects through the Industry Capability Network (ICN) and its ICN Gateway – an online connection point for buyers and suppliers looking to build partnerships. It is doing this as part of the Federal Government's Buy Australian at Home and Abroad (BAHA) initiative.