AROUND this time last year, Australia was knee deep in pandemonium caused by the pandemic. Essential supplies, such as face masks were predominantly being manufactured overseas and every country in the world was scrambling to secure their own supplies creating a near worldwide shortage.
A small manufacturing plant here in Shepparton became a national focus in its efforts to ramp up production and meet the demand. Medcon took up the challenge and was able to help keep Australia safe.
This situation and others in food supplies and other essentials made it abundantly clear that Australia had let the ball drop in our manufacturing capacity and self-reliance.
The rebound has seen Australian companies take up the challenge and forge ahead in rebuilding our manufacturing capability. It now needs the Australian public to continue that support, to buy Australian Made to ensure the shortages we experienced last year are lessened the next time a pandemic takes hold.
Made in Australia is an ambiguous term however. Many people shop and look for that label to indicate that the money they are spending is going towards local suppliers so the local economy grows, jobs are created here and we all reap the benefits those things bring. But the rules around what gets the “Made in Australia” label allow quite a bit of wiggle room.
The sole criterion for making a ‘Made in Australia’ claim is that the good must have undergone its last substantial transformation in Australia.
Somethings will always be imported, due to scale and the availability of basic technology or resources, but we are capable people. The challenge we face is to bring many of the jobs that have moved off shore due to cheap labour costs back and reinvigorate ‘Australian Made’.
We have become a large exporter of raw materials and perhaps have lost sight of the potential for value adding here through our own manufacturing capabilities.
Governments will need to invest more in Australian manufacture if we are not to experience the same pain we felt last year, and the general public will need to look more to buying Australian made in support.
