grants and funding

New Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane has admitted he is not yet sure about future funding to Holden and has called on the carmaker to be patient.

New federal industry minister Ian Macfarlane and SA premier Jay Weatherill are visiting GM Holden’s Elizabeth plant for a tour and a meeting with the car maker.

A local manufacturer of wheels has criticised Holden’s decision to import 12,000 wheels from the United States to keep up with unexpectedly high demand for its SS-V Redline car.

SA premier Jay Weatherill has repeated his warning that Holden will cease manufacturing in Australia if the new federal government does not pledge further assistance.

Incoming prime minister Tony Abbott and Ian Macfarlane, the industry minister-to-be, have both backed the future of Australian car making.

Nicholas Gruen, a senior Australian economist, has said that an end to car manufacturing in Australia would be merely unfortunate, and that Holden and Ford’s factories could be sold or used by a Chinese partner.

Though continued government support isn’t assured, META and its members are positive about by the precinct’s and their industry’s future. Brent Balinski talked to the Manufacturing Industry Innovation Precinct’s CEO Zoran Angelkovski about what’s next.

GM Holden’s North American exports are below expectations, as the company waits to meet with the incoming federal government.

The Rudd government is planning to continue its attack the coalition manufacturing policy. It will focus on the Opposition’s approach to the car industry as well as other specifics.

John Camillo, the South Australian secretary of the AMWU, has spoken out against recent comments by BMW Australia’s Phil Horton that GM Holden was certain to end its car making in Australia.

Some of the 400 workers at Holden’s Elizabeth plant who took voluntary redundancies and left the company last month are reluctant to continue working in the manufacturing sector, according to a report yesterday.

Industry minister Kim Carr has said that the federal election had become a “referendum” on manufacturing in Australia following the release of the Coalition’s policy on the industry yesterday, which would see a more modest level of government support.

Tony Abbott, visiting a Volvo Group facility, has announced the opposition’s manufacturing policy.

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill will meet with GM Holden’s managing director Mike Devereux today, seeking a written commitment regarding the company’s future in Australia.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has pledged to give the automotive manufacturing industry an extra $500 million from 2016 to 2020.

The co-founder of all-terrain vehicle company Tomcar, which has sold all 100 of its first run of vehicles, has said that the start-up felt an absence of government support due to its unconventional business model.

According to research conducted by Newspoll, a majority of Australians support government assistance to Australia’s car makers.

Voting has begun on proposed changes to workplace arrangements for 1,700 workers at Holden’s Elizabeth factory, with the AMWU claiming that a “no” vote would see the company end its manufacturing operations in Australia in 2016.

Wellington, New Zealand-based telescope lens maker KiwiStar’s future might be in danger after a contract with the Australian Astronomical Observatory was axed by Callaghan Innovation, the country’s innovation body.

GM Holden’s workers will vote next week on a revised Enterprise Bargaining Agreement, which will curb the union influence within the company.