The Australian Glass and Window Association (AGWA) has urged state and federal governments to take decisive action against cheap imports, warning that failure to do so could have significant consequences for the local manufacturing sector and Australia’s construction industry.
The call follows the recent appointment of an administrator to Oceania Glass, the country’s only domestic producer of architectural glass.
Based in Dandenong, the company has been a key player in Australian manufacturing for 170 years and employs 260 people.
AGWA CEO Clinton Skeoch said the challenges faced by Oceania Glass highlight broader concerns about the sustainability of Australia’s $6 billion glass and window industry, which supports thousands of jobs.
“Our members are constantly being asked to compete against cheap imported products that increasingly skirt Australian safety and quality standards,” Skeoch said.
“That is placing tremendous strain on businesses and workers and fuelling genuine concerns of a domino effect that will see other companies suffer the same fate as Oceania Glass.”
Skeoch warned that further closures would diminish Australia’s ability to produce critical construction materials locally, exacerbating supply chain vulnerabilities at a time when the country is facing a national housing shortage.
“Every manufacturer we lose weakens our sovereign capability to build locally. If more Australian glass and window businesses are forced to close their doors it will rob our construction sector of decades of expertise and crucial manufacturing capacity during a chronic national housing shortage,” he said.
“That is why our remaining glass processors and window fabricators, and those in other sectors, need both State and Federal governments to act urgently to level the playing field and safeguard Australian jobs and expertise.”
AGWA has voiced concerns over increasing trade uncertainties and potential foreign product dumping, calling for a coordinated response to safeguard the industry.
The association has joined other industry bodies in advocating for stricter enforcement of quality standards for imports and stronger protections for local manufacturers.
“These measures aren’t just about protecting jobs or our manufacturing heritage – they’re about maintaining Australia’s ability to build its own future,” Skeoch said.
