No final decision to shut the La Trobe Valley’s Hazelwood power plant, energy minister Josh Frydenberg has insisted today, as reports continue that its French majority owner is set to close the site by April if a buyer doesn’t come forward.
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Holden to spend $9 million, make 11 new hires at testing site
Holden will upgrade its emissions testing lab at its proving ground, east of Melbourne, spending $9 million and creating 11 new jobs.
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Speculation Hazelwood power station will close
A local federal member has confirmed that the government is considering a bailout package for Gippsland, with the government reportedly expecting the Hazelwood power station could close next week.
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Ford factory decommissioning process to take time, says boss
The sale of the Ford manufacturing sites will come no time soon, the company’s Australian boss has said.
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Ford workers willing but unlikely to find decent jobs: study
When Ford closes the doors on its vehicle manufacturing operations today about 600 workers will walk out of the factory gate for the last time at the Broadmeadows assembly plant in Melbourne’s northern suburbs and at the company’s engine and stamping plants in Geelong. Preliminary results from a survey of more than 400 auto workers show that most of them still want to work but are unlikely to find secure, long-term jobs.
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Last Ford ever to be made this morning, factories to shut
Ford Australia will produce its last car ever this morning, with pictures of “The Last Falcon Sedan” appearing on a Ford Facebook fan page.
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The Ford plant closure is a sad loss of manufacturing know-how
The closure of Ford’s casting plant in Geelong does make you wonder how losing the ability to make our own engines can be a step forward. Australia should take stock and contemplate what kind of society we are becoming.
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Aussie-made autonomous car is “10 years ahead”
The first autonomous car to be made in Australia has been unveiled in Victoria this week. Using the shell of a Tesla Model S with electronic components from Bosch, the manufacturers claim the car is 10 years ahead of other autonomous cars on the market.
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Only 13 per cent of VIC auto workers currently looking for jobs
A study of 400 Victorian auto industry employees has found only 13 per cent have started looking for new jobs.
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Australia’s first graphene factory wins engineering innovation award
Last night Austeng and Imagine Intelligent Materials jointly won an award for the establishment of Australia’s first commercial graphene plant.
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Wearables manufacturer gets $350K grant
ASX-listed wearable technology company dorsaVI has received a Victorian government grant worth $350,000, which it will use to assist in developing its Jolimont facilities.
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Hazelwood shutdown dangerous for Portland smelter
The Portland aluminium smelter would be at a heightened risk of closure if the Hazelwood power station shut, an outcome which may be decided next month.
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Last Australian-made Ford engine comes off the line at Geelong
The last six-cylinder and V8 engines were produced at Geelong yesterday, part of the company’s staged shutdown and finishing with the last vehicle being produced at Broadmeadows on October 7.
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McCain Wendouree industrial dispute continues
An industrial dispute at McCain’s Wendouree site will continue into next week, with workers voting to reject a new enterprise bargaining agreement today.
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Port of Melbourne sold for $9.7 billion
The Port of Melbourne has been sold to a consortium including Queensland Infrastructure Corporation, Global Infrastructure Partners and Canada’s Borealis for $9.7 billion, a price the Victorian treasurer Tim Pallas called a “pleasant surprise”.
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Dandenong manufacturers’ competitiveness hurt by lack of NBN
A local business owner and president of the South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance has said companies in Dandenong South are suffering from delayed access to the National Broadband Network.
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Vic government buys Holden site, announces high-value industrial hub plans
The Victorian government has bought Holden’s Fishermans Bend site for a reported $130 million, and has said it hopes to only hold the site temporarily and to see it turned into an advanced industrial hub.
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Victoria bans fracking, but leaves questions over gas supply
The Victorian government has announced it will permanently ban unconventional gas, often produced through the controversial process of hydraulic fracturing or “fracking”. Legislation to implement the ban will be introduced this year.
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Geelong carbon fibre collaborative projects get $250,000 boost
A $250,000 project fund to support carbon fibre and advanced fibre-based manufacturing in Geelong was announced on Thursday afternoon, aiming to assist in commercialising collaborative projects between firms and researchers.
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Environmental activists, VIC/NSW governments to square off over gas
The NSW and Victorian governments are considering action – including dropping current moratoriums on exploration – to deal with the east coast gas shortage.
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