Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing Glenn Butcher has launched Queensland’s inaugural Manufacturing Month to draw attention to the state’s leading manufacturers and feature a range of events showcasing the sector’s capabilities.
Inside Advanced Manufacturing is one of the events that will take place, where 21 advanced manufacturers and 10 manufacturing support organisations from throughout the state will welcome other manufacturers to see how Industry 4.0 technology and processes have benefited their companies.
More than 25 exhibitors will show and present their products and abilities as part of a Manufacturing Expo at Queensland Parliament House during the Manufacturing Parliamentary Showcase.
To date, the manufacturing sector contributes around $20 billion a year to the local economy and employs 180,000 Queenslanders, according to the government’s media statement.
In particular, the month-long event was introduced by the minister and construction equipment supplier Austrack Equipment.
The SafeVac pipe lifters, which are helping with the development of the Fitzroy to Gladstone Pipeline, were made by the Pinkenba-based firm.
Acting Premier Steven Miles stated that Queensland is clearly paving the way for manufacturers throughout the nation as the first state in Australia to dedicate a month to the manufacturing sector.
“Queensland Manufacturing Month will demonstrate to the rest of the country why Queensland is the best place to build, buy and invest,” Miles said.
He added, “I want to see more products stamped with ‘Made in Queensland’ and we’re well on that way to that becoming a reality.”
Meanwhile, Minister Butcher underlined his commitment to the manufacturing industry, and not simply because he has a history in it.
“The manufacturing industry is one of our biggest industries, and supporting its growth means more secure Queensland jobs,” Butcher said.
He also described Queensland manufacturers as “innovative, hard-working, and resilient,” citing their ability to switch to other goods during the COVID pandemic to seize on new markets.
“Here today at Austrack we can see their innovation in action – they spotted a gap in the market and they filled it with vacuum-technology machines that are now at work on one of the state’s largest projects, the $983 million Fitzroy to Gladstone Pipeline,” Butcher noted.
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