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Bringing manufacturing home needed to solve growing shortages of essential chemicals and spare parts by Victorian farm businesses

The global supply chain took a battering in the COVID pandemic and now conflict between Russia and the Ukraine is further shaking the foundations of Victoria's key import and export markets.

By news@gippsland - 22nd March 2022 - Back to News

Shortages of fertilizer, agricultural chemicals, AdBlue and spare parts for farm machinery are among the goods Victorian farmers and farm businesses are desperately trying and failing to secure. Global pressures have rammed home just how reliant Victoria now is on other nations to manufacture products that are crucial to the success and day-to-day operation of our local businesses.

Bringing Manufacturing Home fund will make Victoria the engine room of Australian manufacturing once again, with $1 billion secured specifically for investment in regional Victoria

Victoria missing out

In past decades, Victoria was a manufacturing powerhouse attributing for about 17.2 percent of our local employment. By August 2021, that had sunk to 8.4 per cent. The Federal Liberals and Nationals Government recently announced seven priority goods crucial to the national interest that we could be producing in Australia, including:

• PPE
• Pharmaceuticals
• Agricultural chemicals
• Telecommunications equipment

Victoria's past success in the sector puts us in the box seat to secure new jobs and business investment, but we risk missing out because it's not on the agenda of the current State Labor Government.

Bringing home manufacturing

By contrast, The Nationals have announced a $2.5 billion Bringing Manufacturing Home fund, to attract new manufacturers and new careers to Victoria. A massive $1 billion will be quarantined specifically for regional Victoria.

Our program will focus on areas of strategic importance, including food, fibre and beverages, as well as rare earth and mineral processing, and the manufacture of medicines or PPE. Our plan will recover and rebuild our state's economy and make Victoria number one again as the engine room of Australian manufacturing.

Pictures from Peter Walsh MP Facebook page.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com