INDUSTRY POLITICS

Right across our nation there are innovative manufacturers showcasing the best in Aussie ingenuity: businesses expanding their horizons through new technology, while offering practical hands-on job opportunities in seemingly traditional industries.

A small Queensland company that has developed a range of innovative devices to help fight bushfires is a prime example of how great ideas can reap benefits locally while having an eye to international markets.

It is the sort of company the Morrison Government is determined to support: a local business manufacturing a product that can help Australians, employ local people, source components locally, but also export to the world.

Helitak Fire Fighting Equipment provides solutions to help fight fires, both here at home and overseas.

Established in 2006, the manufacturer employs locals to build its inventions and its workforce is expected to grow from about 13 now to 50 by the end of the year.

Among Helitak’s inventions is a retractable underbelly water tank for helicopters that does not require modifications to the aircraft’s undercarriage.

It sources more than 85 per cent of the components of the underbelly

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tanks from southeast Queensland businesses, and the tanks themselves are manufactured locally.

The chief designer and engineer is Helitak CEO Jason Schellaars, a helicopter fire-fighting pilot.

Jason wanted to create a way to accurately release water to the fire ground as soon as possible and came up with a retractable tank concept.

In January I had the pleasure of visiting Helitak’s factory in Noosaville on the Sunshine Coast to announce that the

company had been awarded $497,500 as part of our Government’s Accelerating Commercialisation grants programme.

The grant will help Helitak commercialise a tank developed for Airbus Super Puma helicopters, bringing the project to international markets.

It will also help secure the intellectual property rights, ensuring that the manufacture of component parts can remain in Australia.

The Super Puma helicopter tank can fill with 4200 litres of water or fire retardant in less than 50 seconds and drop the entire load or lesser amounts of water or fire retardant as required.

Helicopters can take off and land with Helitak Fire Tanks attached, and they are much safer in flying over urban areas than helicopters using the traditional bucket design.

The value of such a device to Australia is obvious. This sort of technology could make a vital difference in fighting the sort of devastating bushfires that have ravaged large areas of eastern Australia. But the device also has strong demand in international markets.

The Morrison Government is always looking to support innovative products from businesses with strong commercial and export prospects that provide local jobs and benefits.

These are businesses thinking big and outside the box, at the same time as creating opportunities for manufacturing workers and local supply chains.

The Hon Karen Andrews MP is Minister for Industry, Science and Technology.

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R&D IS CRUCIAL TO AUSTRALIA’S MANUFACTURING FUTURE

Nostalgia hit a high note last month with the announcement by General Motors that they will “retire” the iconic Holden brand in Australia and New Zealand after 160 years.

It was a shocking blow, but upon reflection can we really be surprised considering the policy direction of the last seven years?

The day the former Treasurer, Joe Hockey, dared Holden to leave Australia in December 2013 is etched in my mind. A foolish, arrogant but deliberate move that played a significant role in the departure of local Holden car manufacturing.

The following day, as the then Shadow Employment Minister, I moved a censure motion against the government condemning their treatment of Australian manufacturers.

Since then, it seems as though the government has determined that the more they ignore the issue of what is increasingly a struggling manufacturing industry, all the while talking up the future of the industry, the problem might just go away.

Industry Minister Karen

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Andrews just last year highlighted her indifference to the challenges facing the automotive industry, claiming the end of the manufacturing is good for the country.

Karen Andrews said the end of automotive manufacturing: “… is turning out to be a positive story. The outcomes we are seeing have defied all the doom-and-gloom predictions of 2013.”

I’d like to be enlightened as to just how it is a positive story for the nearly 600 Australian design and engineering staff about to lose their jobs, the nearly 200 automotive dealers reeling from the decision and who may have to close their doors, and the nearly 6000 automotive dealership employees whose jobs are at risk? month of contraction. This result in January marked the lowest monthly result since 2015.

The only plan the Morrison Government currently has is an R&D Bill before Parliament ripping almost $2 billion from innovative manufacturers and firms.

Slashing this funding will see a decline in research and development at a time when manufacturing is contracting. History has shown us that any dollars invested in research and development are returned to the economy many times over.

Supporting the car industry and manufacturing in Australia has significant flow on effects, developing a skill set that is critical for this 21st century. It will provide high paid, secure and highly skilled jobs.

Australia’s manufacturers are facing challenges, and they need a government that is willing to listen to them and to back them. What they don’t need is a government that says Australia can’t afford a manufacturing industry.

Despite these challenges, I am optimistic about the future of manufacturing in this country. We have shown in the past that we are

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History shows us that when governments and business collaborate we can do great things.

The Prime Minister and the Industry Minister expressed their outrage that they were only given 15 minutes notice by General Motors of the company’s decision. Rather than focusing on their pride, the government’s primary concern should be directed to those left on the scrap heap because of this decision, and for the state of the industry.

Manufacturing in general has been struggling. The Australian Industry Group Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) reported a third consecutive an innovation nation and we can continue to be.

Continuing to invest in research and development will help us realise a bright manufacturing future that will benefit all Australians.

History shows us that when governments and business collaborate we can do great things.