Comment by Peter Roberts With coronavirus wrecking its havoc on the Australian economy, I can’t help thinking that there is no cloud without a silver lining. This might just be the time when the general public wakes up to the importance of a healthy, capable and broad-based manufacturing sector. A few of us diehards have…
Australian Manufacturing Forum member viewpoint by Allen Roberts Hallelujah! The Government has announced cash flow assistance for small businesses, turnover limit an arbitrary $50 million, impacted by the Corona virus. Perhaps the precarious position many small businesses are finding themselves in has finally pricked the Canberra political bubble. The assistance is intended to keep people…
Five of the 12 brick making plants operated by Brickworks in the United States are to close immediately as fallout spreads from the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. The Sydney company announced today that Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf had ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses in the state to close their physical locations to slow the spread of Covid-19.…
The federal government’s efforts to boost defence exports seems to be working to increase the pool of local defence exporters. Defence industry minister, Melissa Price released the fourth edition of the government’s Australian Military Sales Catalogue, which lists a growing number of exporters. The 2020 Catalogue showcases 170 Australian businesses – a 49 per cent…
Perth’s Orbital Corporation had broken into the Singapore defence market, signing a memorandum of understanding with one of that country’s largest defence companies. The agreement with the company, which has not been named, is for the design, development and initial low-rate production of multi-fuel engines for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). A week ago Orbital deepened…
Digital gaming is underpinning confidence by gaming machine manufacturer Aristocrat Leisure that it can weather the coronavirus storm. The Sydney company moved into the fast-growing digital and online space some years ago, and now gets 40 per cent of revenue from those sources. Sales of gaming machines and land-based gaming contribute 30 per cent each.…
Now that the true extent of the health challenge facing Australia is evident, attention is turning to the economy where sales slow-downs, disrupted supply chains and closed markets are taking their toll. Today BlueScope steel and Boral became the latest in what has become a flood of large manufacturers forced to rethink sales and profits…
Canberra is doing far too little, far too late to seek help from industry in manufacturing the key tools Australia needs to weather the coronavirus pandemic. China alerted the WHO in December of the first cases of coronavirus, but it is only this week that Canberra seems to have taken any action to mobilise manufacturers…
Australian rocket company, Valiant Space, has successfully fired its ‘Momentum’ liquid fueled rocket engine, claimed to be the first commercially developed such engine in Australian history. The engine was ignited on 15 March at Beyond the Blue Aerospace’s launch and test facility, Funny Farm Space, north of Goondiwindi, Queensland. Black Sky Aerospace, known for their…
Melbourne start-up Great Wrap has launched a plant based, compostable and stretchy biodegradable replacement for conventional plastic wrap. The company’s Great Wrap product is made from plant-sourced PLA and PBAT and is suitable for kitchens or for wrapping pallets of goods in factories and logistics centres. The product is certified compostable, degrading in a compost…