Parramatta. New facilitator

Ian Frame is the new facilitator at the Western Sydney Manufacturers Connection, a group within the Parramatta-based Western Sydney Business Connection. He will foster links between manufacturing leaders, facilitating discussion on issues impacting in Western Sydney as well as encouraging development of business-to-business with a strong focus on those companies involved in manufacturing in Western Sydney. Mr Frame, who had worked in the Australian building industry for 40 years, retired in 2009.

Region. 100 potential manufacturing leads

The NSW Government and the fourteen local councils in Greater Western Sydney have identified over 100 potential manufacturing leads for business expansion and relocation to the region. Industry & Investment NSW will actively pursue all these leads, using the Western Sydney Business Employment Fund, where appropriate, to attract these firms to Western Sydney over next 12 months. This was an initiative included in the NSW Government Response to the Western Sydney Jobs Summit, held in February.

Region. Manufacturing at risk

Given that Western Sydney is one of Australia’s a major manufacturing area and a major employer, the sector would be concerned that policymakers have written it off. In its latest quarterly Statement on Monetary Policy, the Reserve Bank sees the resource sector as the future of Australia's prosperity and warns manufacturing will shrink. Treasury secretary, Ken Henry, has forecast an Australia in 40 years with an even larger mining sector and much smaller manufacturing sector. Also, a report by University of Technology Sydney professor, Roy Green, commissioned by the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, found that Australian manufacturing managers were at best mediocre and particularly bad at managing people and innovation. Smaller companies performed worse, which was a concern because Australian industry has a relatively larger proportion of small-sized firms.