Manufacturing Australia (MA) is a CEO-led coalition of Australia's largest manufacturers. MA works with governments to help Australia’s manufacturing sector realise its potential. MA proposes and supports practical policy measures to ensure Australian manufacturing remains internationally competitive.
MA does not support protectionism and believes that manufacturers should be wholly accountable for their own performance. Having overcome a myriad of external economic challenges in recent years, MA members continue to operate at scale because they are efficient, well-managed and innovative businesses that have restructured and retooled to improve productivity and remain competitive.
Manufacturing is the value-adding life-blood of a balanced Australian economy. Through downstream wealth creation, research and development, import replacement and maximising the value of our natural resources, manufacturing delivers a substantial economic, social and cultural return to the nation.
Almost one million Australians work in manufacturing. Competitive manufacturing brings with it skilled direct and indirect employment, innovation and thriving local communities.
Manufacturing Australia’s priorities
Manufacturing Australia works to secure the next generation of manufacturing employment and investment in Australia, by focusing on four priority areas for cooperation between industry and government. These include:
- Encouraging better regulations that help keep Australian manufacturing safe, sustainable productive and high quality
- Increasing productivity through innovation, research and development, modern and flexible workplaces.
- Ensuring free trade is also fair trade.
- Regaining Australia’s competitive advantage of reliable, affordable and sustainable energy resources, and ensuring Australia meets its international emissions obligations while remaining globally competitive in trade exposed industries.