facilities

A factory fire in West Melbourne on Saturday night is being treated as suspicious. Sky News reports that over 30 firefighters showed up at the printing factory on Irelanbd Street, with police called at 8:45 pm. There was “evidence that the scene is suspicious”, the Melbourne Fire Brigade’s spokesman Steve Moore told The Age.

Manufacturer of child seats Britax Australia has announced that it will shut its Melbourne factory and offshore production, cutting 80 jobs. The ABC reported last Friday that the company will shut its factory in Sunshine after an internal review found significant investments would be required to upgrade the factory. “It is difficult for an Australian-based … Continue reading Britax to close factory, cut 80 jobs →

Residents near the Blackmores Warriewood factory have complained that the thriving 24-hour-a-day operation is causing headaches. Fairfax reports that over 370 staff are employed at the 25,000 square metre campus, which is running around the clock to meet surging demand for its supplements. “At night at one or two o’clock, the noises of pallets being … Continue reading Blackmores growth causing noise issues, say Warriewood neighbours →

South Australian premier Jay Weatherill will meet Arrium management, administrator Mark Mentha, unions and suppliers at Whyalla today. The SA government has announced an interest-free loan scheme for Arrium creditors, and is expected to soon detail a co-investment plan to upgrade the company’s steelworks. Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis, who will visit the site with Weatherill and … Continue reading Commonwealth must co-invest in Arrium at Whyalla: SA government →

Insulated building products maker Bondor is preparing to both mark its 65th anniversary and announce a new $20 million facility in Melbourne. Brent Balinski spoke to General Manager Geoff Marsdon about what has shaped the company´s diversification and longevity. Handled smartly, tougher standards for building products have presented new opportunities for Bondor in the last … Continue reading Bondor opens door to a new era, creates 50 more jobs →

Bosch inaugurated its new $40 million Australian headquarters and technology centre last night and announced it would invest another $6.2 million to strengthen its diode production. The wholly-owned local subsidiary of the German engineering giant was established in Australia in 1954 and described the facility as evidence of its long-term commitment to the region. Around … Continue reading Bosch inaugurates new $40 million Victorian site →

Last Friday it was reported that SA premier Jay Weatherill recently offered to have Tesla set up in the state, though this offer was politely turned down. RenewEconomy reports that Weatherill made the suggestion while visiting the company’s Fremont plant, which was occupied by a failedToyota/General Motors joint venture before Tesla set up. “I met … Continue reading SA Tesla electric car factory offer declined →

The mayor of Orange has praised the contribution of the Electrolux factory to the community and said that state and federal governments could have done more to keep doors open.

More than seven decades of manufacturing history will come to a close today when Electrolux shuts its factory in Orange.

Volvo’s global CEO has backed manufacturing in Australia, turning the first sod on a new $30 million headquarters and dealership in Wacol, Queensland.

Chinese company Blue Lake Dairy (BLD) has applied for a permit to create a $15 million milk processing and packaging plant in Tantanoola, South Australia.

The University of Melbourne-headquartered Bio21 will add a new building, with biotherapeutics company CSL beefing up its research presence at the Parkville research hub.

It’s being reported that Toshiba has been enlisted to help the Japanese bid to build Australia’s next submarine fleet.

Central to the success of world-leading manufacturers like Dyson and Apple, a design emphasis is something Australian engineering lacks. Brent Balinski spoke to Deakin University’s Professor Guy Littlefair about how the university is helping to remedy this.

Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds campus yesterday officially opened its new, $55 million Centre for Advanced Design in Engineering Training (CADET) facility.

Australia is a step closer to becoming a global, high end manufacturer of nuclear medicines, with construction well underway on a brand new, $168 million ANSTO Nuclear Medicine (ANM) facility.

Tasmania’s Bell Bay smelter, reportedly the oldest aluminium smelter in the southern hemisphere, is celebrating its 60th anniversary.

South Australian Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis officially opened Siemens’ new $5 million facility at Tonsley in southern Adelaide yesterday.

Swinburne University has officially launched its new $100 million Advanced Manufacturing and Design Centre at Hawthorn.

Deakin University’s state-of-the-art Carbon Nexus centre for carbon fibre research has marked its first anniversary.