Regional Australia will lead the country’s post-COVID economic recovery under The Nationals’ ambitious plan to modernise and rejuvenate Australian manufacturing.
The Nationals have a strong track record of backing wealth creation, jobs and sustainable industries and manufacturing is key to continuing to do this.
The Nationals believe there is an abundance of resources and opportunities for regional communities to be the value-add pacesetters by focusing on the entire supply chain and not just the original raw product.
“We need to have strategic capability in our own country and regional Australia has a significant role in doing that,” Nationals Senate Leader McKenzie said.
“The Nationals manufacturing vision – Manufacturing 2035 – will deliver jobs, it will get production lines humming and restore our sovereign manufacturing capability.
“Jobs equals economic security. We need to make Australia make again. We need Aussies to be able to buy Australian Made.
“Implementing The Nationals policies will deliver 800,000 new manufacturing jobs by 2035. This is proudly ambitious and is achievable.”
Senator McKenzie said the global COVID-19 pandemic had highlighted the need to protect supply chains in essential products, such as medical supplies and food and beverages.
Manufacturing 2035 is the culmination of extensive roundtable and video teleconferences with manufacturers from across regional Australia.
“It was a delight to meet and hear from so many regional manufacturers and be able to incorporate their vision into what will be Australia’s most ambitious manufacturing program since World War 2,” Senator McKenzie said.
“Many countries have government-backed lending facilities to support investments in manufacturing, we should establish a $5 billion manufacturing concessional loan program to support investments in our manufacturing sector.
“A renewed focus on the revival of Australian manufacturing, along with the designation of a number of strategic areas and the allocation of dedicated funding, warrants regionally based Offices of Regional Manufacturing to support the regions in achieving this ambitious goal.”
The Nationals 9-point plan to double employment in Australian manufacturing:
- Take countervailing action to protect strategic industries where subsidies in other countries have an adverse impact on Australia’s ability to develop strategic industries.
- Increase trade promotion efforts and grow exports for our manufacturing industries.
- Expand the remit of the Regional Investment Corporation to include new low-cost, long-term finance for strategic manufacturing industries.
- Create a decentralised Office of Regional Manufacturing with offices in Gladstone and Newcastle with a mandate to achieve specific growth targets in Australian manufacturing’s priority areas.
- Provide tax incentives including accelerated depreciation to encourage investment in manufacturing capital, and in research and development.
- Strengthen Australian Government procurement policies to back Australian manufacturing first.
- Facilitate early exposure to trade qualifications and harmonise our qualifications and employment conditions.
- Invest in reliable and affordable energy and in strategic infrastructure that can support manufacturing, including in coal and gas fired power.
- Fund exploration to find a new oil province in Australia to replace the Bass Strait.
“Manufacturing has played a crucial role in the development of many regional towns, including and a renewed focus on manufacturing will help deliver stronger economic growth in regional Australia,” Senator McKenzie aid.
“Private investment also has a key role to play and one way to encourage the private sector is for the Australian Government to provide tax incentives for manufacturing-based investment.”