Announcements Archives - Australian Manufacturing

“Australia’s manufacturing sector will be a key driver of future jobs and higher wages” says Frydenberg

AM News — Wed, 12 May 2021 02:48:28 +0000

The treasurer has announced Australia’s manufacturing sector will play a key role in securing Australia’s recovery and additional government support will be provided.

In his budget speech yesterday, Josh Frydenberg stated that the government has backed manufacturing with the Modern Manufacturing Strategy and will continue to support the sector.

“That is why we have already committed $1.5 billion to expand manufacturing activity and create jobs across six priority areas, including medical products and clean energy. We backed in our Modern Manufacturing Strategy with an additional $2 billion in R&D tax incentives,” said Mr Frydenberg.

Innovation was a key focus of the budget, with the treasurer announcing the ‘patent box’.

“With an additional $2 billion in R&D tax incentives. Australia has led the world with innovations like WI?FI, the bionic ear and a vaccine for cervical cancer.”

“We want to see more innovation commercialised in Australia… And so tonight, we are launching a new ‘patent box’ starting on 1 July next year… Under the patent box, income earned from new patents that have been developed in Australia will be taxed at a concessional 17 per cent rate – almost half the rate that applies to large companies,” Mr Frydenberg added.

According the Sydney Morning Herald, the “patent box” tax breaks are similar to those offered by more than 20 countries including Britain and France, and are expected to cost $100 million a year. The government is also considering to expand the scheme to clean-energy technologies, including large-scale batteries, hydrogen or renewables.

The patent box will apply to the medical and biotech sectors and we will consult on expanding it to the clean energy sector.

“Mr. Speaker, a resilient Australia requires diverse and reliable supply chains. That is why we are providing additional support for Australian manufacturers of critical products,” Mr Frydenberg added.

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Amcor reports year to date results and raises outlook for fiscal 2021

AM News — Wed, 05 May 2021 00:20:08 +0000

AMCOR has announced strong results and continued momentum have lead to an increased guidance for Fiscal 2021.

Amcor’s CEO Ron Delia said: “Amcor is maintaining momentum and executing well in the face of a dynamic operating environment. As a result, we delivered strong year-to-date performance and we are raising our full year adjusted EPS growth outlook to 14-15% in constant currency terms.”

Highlights from the announcement, for the period covering nine months ending March 31, were as follows:

GAAP Net Income of $684 million, up 58%; GAAP earnings per share (EPS) of 43.8 cents per share, up 63%;
Adjusted EPS of 51.5 cents per share, up 16% on a comparable constant currency basis;
Adjusted EBIT of $1,144 million, up 9% on a comparable constant currency basis;
$55 million Bemis cost synergies year to date; expect approximately $70 million in FY21 and well positioned to deliver at least $180 million by end of fiscal 2022;
Quarterly dividend higher than this quarter last year at 11.75 cents per share;
Approximately 2% of outstanding shares repurchased year to date; and
Fiscal 2021 outlook for adjusted EPS growth raised to 14-15% in constant currency terms (previously 10-14%).

“The business delivered strong adjusted EBIT growth of 9% on a year to date basis and organic growth has continued to strengthen as we progress through the fiscal 2021 year. Delivery of cost synergies related to the Bemis acquisition continues to progress ahead of original expectations leaving us well positioned to exceed the original target with at least $180 million of pre-tax benefits by the end of fiscal 2022,” said Ron Delia.

“Amcor has a clearly defined, consistent capital allocation framework which starts with strong annual Free Cash Flow in excess of $1 billion and growing. We are actively investing in the future, expanding capacity in higher value segments and higher growth markets and increasingly using open innovation and now corporate venturing to identify new avenues of growth. Growth investments like these, along with continued strong execution, will enable continued momentum and reinforce our belief that the Amcor investment case has never been stronger,” Mr Delia added.

For more information on the results, please visit the asx announcement.

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Investing for a better world

AM News — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 04:36:30 +0000

Media Release

Great to have the Acting Premier and Minister for the Environment join Visy co-owner Fiona Geminder and COO Mark De Wit to announce Visy will build a state of the art $35 million glass recycling cullet facility in Laverton in Melbourne’s west.

The facility will pave the way for a Victorian container deposit scheme (CDS) sales model that prioritises remanufacturing in Victoria, so Visy can turn a bottle into a bottle, over and over again.

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AML3D Maritime Product Receives Verification From Key Industry Body

Antoni.A — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 05:26:51 +0000

AML3D (AL3’) has announced that maritime parts developed in conjunction with Austal Australia (ASX: ASB) have received formal verification from DNV, an independent expert in risk management and quality assurance.

The additive manufacturing service provider produced an aluminium personnel recovery davit (crane), intended for naval applications with its proprietary ‘WAM®’ additive manufacturing technology, on behalf of Austal.

According to the statement from AML3D ‘as part of the qualification process, a three metre long personnel recovery davit was designed and produced to meet international and naval specifications. The assembly was then function tested to more than twice its design working load. Following the successful load test, non-destructive and destructive testing, the results were reviewed by all parties before the final verification statement was issued’.

“We’re proud to have been able to partner with Austal and demonstrate the advantages of our proprietary Wire Additive Manufacturing (WAM®) capabilities in the creation of the Davit Arm. Additionally, we are equally as excited to see this WAM® printed component receive an official verification statement by DNV. This now offers averification pathway for a much wider range of components that can now follow a similar validation process” said Andy Sales, AML3D Chief Executive Officer.

According to AML3D, the component was subjected to extensive testing by the John de Laeter Centre and the Curtin Corrosion Centre at Curtin University.

‘Researchers utilised advanced microanalysis instrumentation to generate high quality microstructural information and images. In addition, the mechanical and corrosion characteristics were assessed and compared against established marine grade metals,’ statement.

Austal Chief Digital Officer, Andrew Malcolm said the successful team up with AML3D and Curtin University on the additive manufacturing project highlighted the many opportunities to pursue emerging technologies with Australian industry.

“Austal Australia has been working with AML3D since 2019 on the development of hybrid manufacturing approaches that put robotics side by side with our highly skilled tradesmen and women to fabricate large complex structures,” Mr Malcolm said.

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Working together for health and safety through COVID-19

News Desk — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 02:57:15 +0000

Media Release

Safety at work affects everyone – workers, their families, businesses, and our community.

October is National Safe Work Month, a time to commit to building and maintaining safe and healthy workplaces.

This year’s theme is Work Health and Safety through COVID-19, acknowledging and reflecting the wide-reaching impact of the pandemic on Australian workplaces.

Good work health and safety practice and risk management are more important than ever.

To keep our workplaces safe, we all need to work together to manage the risks arising from COVID-19.

During October, Safe Work Australia invites employers, organisations and work health and safety leaders to take part in National Safe Work Month and focus on health and safety at work.

To find out more and to get involved, go to the National Safe Work Month website at safeworkmonth.swa.gov.au.

The campaign kit is free and includes a range of resources you can use to join in and promote work health and safety in your workplace. You can also find links to guidance on managing work health and safety risks from COVID-19.

New resources and tools will also be released during National Safe Work Month in October.

Together, we can keep our workplaces safe for everyone – through COVID-19 and beyond.

How to participate in National Safe Work Month

Go to the National Safe Work Month website and download resources from the campaign kit.
Customise and share the resources with your workplace, work teams, supervisor or health and safety representative.
Follow Safe Work Australia on social media to keep up to date with what’s happening and new campaign materials.
Promote National Safe Work Month and share updates about your activities on social media using the hashtags #safeworkmonth and #safetytogether.
Keep an eye on the National Safe Work Month website and subscribe to the mailing list to stay updated on the latest news.

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Consultation open for Country of Origin Labelling for complementary medicines

News Desk — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 23:18:49 +0000

The Australian Government is developing an Information Standard for manufacturers of complementary medicines seeking to make ‘Made in Australia’ claims.

According to the announcement the Government proposes to implement the Information Standard under planned legislative and regulatory changes this year.

Amendments to country of origin labelling (CoOL) laws in 2017 changed the basis for making ‘Made in Australia’ claims. This also affected access to the Australian Made, Australian Grown (AMAG) logo.

The changes focused on the food industry, but had unexpected consequences for the complementary medicines sector.

While it’s voluntary for the sector to make Australian origin claims, they are subject to the same CoOL laws. Some of their products manufactured from 100% imported ingredients were no longer eligible to claim ‘Made in Australia’.

The Government is implementing reforms to restore access for these manufacturers to make a ‘Made in Australia’ claim. This involves adding an additional test to the definition of substantial transformation. Products making a claim in line with the reforms will be required to disclose the proportion of Australian ingredients.

The Information Standard will set out the labelling requirements.

The Government is now seeking feedback on key provisions of the proposed Information Standard to help develop CoOL for complementary medicines.

Visit the Consultation Hub to submit feedback

Consultation closes on 24 September 2020.

Image from www.industry.gov.au

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Government launches Moon to Mars Supply Chain capability improvement grants

News Desk — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 01:59:38 +0000

The Australian Space Agency is partnering with NASA on its inspiring plan to go back to the Moon and on to Mars. As part of this, the Morrison Government is investing $150 million to fuel the growth of Australian businesses so they can succeed in national and international space supply chains, and support NASA on its ambitious campaign.

The first program in the Moon to Mars initiative has opened today with the launching of the $25.7 million Supply Chain Capability Improvement grants. Local businesses now have the opportunity to apply for grants that will strengthen their skills, capabilities and capacity. With Australia’s growing range of capabilities including earth observation, optical communications, advanced manufacturing, automation, the country is in a prime position to support national and international space activities.

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the Supply Chain Capability Improvement grants will fuel opportunities for local businesses to grow and expand into global markets.

“Space offers a significant economic opportunity to create more high tech jobs for Australians – not just in existing space businesses but in a range of related fields including advanced manufacturing,” Minister Andrews said in a statement.

“This is an investment in Aussie businesses when they need it the most. Importantly, the grants will help showcase our best ideas and technologies on the global stage and see Australia play a role in NASA’s endeavours to go to the Moon and on to Mars.”

The Moon to Mars initiative consists of three integrated elements: The first is the Supply Chain program which aims to get Australian products and services into local and global space supply chains. The second is the Demonstrator program which will open in late 2020 and will see the development and launching of products to kick-start Australian businesses. The third element is the Trailblazer program, the Australian Space Agency’s inspire piece. This major project will start in 2022 and will support Moon to Mars activities. The Demonstrator and Trailblazer programs are still being scoped, with more details to be released soon.

Speaking about the grants Head of the Australian Space Agency Dr Megan Clark AC said increasing national capability is one of the primary areas of focus in the Government’s Australian Civil Space Strategy.

“These grants are about Australia building on its strengths, partnering for success by diversifying the economy, and building a high tech workforce that can make a significant contribution internationally,” Dr Clark said.

“Supply chain partnerships and a clear commercialisation pathway are key to these Supply Chain Capability Improvement grants. We want to see partnerships that bring Australian space products and services to life and contribute to Australia’s export market capacity. This will create jobs and increase skills at a local level.”

Eligible projects could include:

activities that support the development of space industry technology, products, processes or services
development of a product from an adjacent industry, like manufacturing, to support the space industry

The $25.7 million Supply Chain capability grants is a five year program with grants of between $250,000 and $1 million available. Applications can be submitted at any time up to 30 June 2023.

Visit https://www.business.gov.au/M2M-SupplyChain for more information or to apply.

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Defence in need of canvas products for ADF activities

News Desk — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 06:43:06 +0000

The Department of Defence is inviting proposals from Australian companies to provide a wide range of high quality canvas-type products for the Australian Defence Force. The standing offer for products categorised as ‘camping, outdoor equipment and accessories’ includes tents, tarpaulins, mail bags and field furniture.

Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said the $2 million deal would provide Australian industry with an opportunity to secure work over an initial three-year period, with options for extensions.

“This approach will enable the rolling replacement of existing stock, ensuring a continuous supply of high-quality canvas products for a range of ADF activities,” Minister Price said.

The new contract will form a new Standing Offer Deed agreement, reducing the administrative burden on Australian industry, and providing successful tenderers with greater assurance of work.

“The Morrison Government is focused on a strong and agile partnership between industry and Defence,” Minister Price said.

“We are working to deliver the best capability to our service women and men, whilst maximising opportunities for Australian industry participation at a local and national level.”

Further information about this tender is now available here.

Image: Jerzy Górecki from Pixabay

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Important Update From Advanced Manufacturing Expo

AM News — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 01:29:44 +0000

After closely monitoring the evolving situation, Reed Exhibitions Australia has today announced the postponement of the launch of the biennial Advanced Manufacturing Expo Sydney, which was due to run 18-20 November 2020. Instead, we will focus on working with the industry on the 2021 edition of National Manufacturing Week Melbourne (11-14 May 2021).

In line with Australian government regulations, the team at Reed Exhibitions Australia have been working closely with our customers, partners and attendees to prepare for our launch. During this process it has become increasingly evident that launching a new event under the current circumstances will not allow us to reach the maximum potential our industry expects for this inaugural event.

We appreciate that this is disappointing news and would once again like to thank all of our customers, partners and attendees for their patience and support during this challenging time. We now look forward to working with the industry to deliver a successful National Manufacturing Week in Melbourne in 2021.

If you have any questions regarding the event, please contact your Account Manager or Customer Service at info@advancedmanufacturingexpo.com.auwho will be happy to help with your queries.

– AMX team –

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Synlait forecast milk price update

AM News — Thu, 28 May 2020 01:46:17 +0000

Media Release

Synlait Milk Limited (Synlait) has updated its forecast base milk price for the 2019 / 2020 season to $7.05 kgMS from $7.25 kgMS.

Synlait CEO Leon Clement commented: “The decision to reduce our forecast base milk price for the 2019 / 2020 season is because, in line with other commodities, dairy prices have eased significantly this year and as a result are lower than we were anticipating when the forecast was set in January.”

Synlait’s opening forecast for the 2020 / 2021 season is $6.00 kgMS.

Leon Clement commented: “COVID-19 has created significant global uncertainty. We don’t yet have a clear view of COVID-19’s economic impact, but we do know it will impact demand, resulting in our decision to release a conservative opening forecast for the 2020 / 2021 season.”

Forecasts are based on the best information available to Synlait at the time. Synlait will continue to monitor movements and keep its farmer suppliers up to date. Synlait’s final milk price for the 2019 / 2020 season will be confirmed when the company releases its full year 2020 result in September. The 2020 / 2021 season forecast will also be updated.

Image credit: www.synlait.com

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