Victoria

Volgen has manufactured the 5000th bus at its facility in Dandenong, Victoria. The bus body builder, the largest in Australia, delivered the Optimus Low-Floor Route Bus to Ventura Bus Lines. The event leads the company to come full circle, as the first bus ever made by Volgren, the VG001, is also owned by Ventury. According … Continue reading 5000th bus manufactured at Victorian site →

The Victorian state government has announced a review of the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) and the state’s Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector as delivered through Victoria schools. The review aims to establish how students can pursue a high-quality qualification while completing their senior secondary studies, and that pathways to trades skills are … Continue reading Review to look into Victorian trades teaching →

The first pilot project for the mass creation of hydrogen from coal for export has broken ground in the Latrobe Valley, Victoria. Conducted by a consortium of Japanese industry heavyweights, including Kawasaki Heavy Industry, J-Power, Iwatani Corporation, Sumitomo Corporation, and Marubeni Corporation, the Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) pilot, will lay the groundwork for a … Continue reading First test for hydrogen to provide new export energy source →

The Victorian government has released a 30-year plan for the state’s forestry industry. The plan includes $120 million for support for the industry, with existing timber supply agreements extended until 2024. After 2024, agreements regarding the logging of native timber will be reduced, and will be phased out by 2030. Logging in old growth forests … Continue reading Plan for industry to transition as old growth logging in Vic ends →

The first Victorian-made electric bus is about to enter service on the 246 route in Melbourne, between Elsternwick and Clifton Hill, via St Kilda. The zero-emissions bus is powered by a 324 kWH lithium phosphate battery, which allows the bus to run for 300 kilometres. Body construction and fit out was done in Dandenong by … Continue reading Victorian-made electric buses ready to run →

The Victorian Manufacturing Showcase has hosted over 650 manufacturers, industry bodies, and agencies to highlight the connectedness of the state’s manufacturing sector. “It’s great to see such an array of companies showing off their capabilities at this year’s showcase – it speaks volumes for the strength and promise of the sector,” said Victorian Minister for … Continue reading Victorian Manufacturing Showcase highlights state’s best →

CSIRO has announced new technology which will support electric vehicle (EV) charging, throughout peak demand periods during the summer months. The charging stations will use renewable energy and avoid placing stress on charge drawn from the grid. With hot days increasing temperature stressors on electrical systems, the Australian-designed chargers have taken these conditions into account, … Continue reading CSIRO launches solar EV charging module →

Victorian manufacturing businesses have utilised the Global Victoria platform to grow their overseas business. Speaking at the launch of Melbourne Gin Company’s range of gins in Bengaluru, India, Minister for Small Business, Adem Somyurek, highlighted how the drinks manufacturer, along with cosmetics manufacturer Goat Soap will allow for increased revenue. “This deal is a significant … Continue reading Manufacturers grow exports to India →

Melbourne-based Invetech has announced a new cell therapy manufacturing platform, which can help deal with conditions such as lung cancer and autoimmune diseases. The second-generation formulation and fill platform allows for the low-cost, commercial-scale manufacture of cell therapies, such as chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, which has been utilised for the treatment of leukemia. … Continue reading Medtech company develops new cell therapy manufacturing platform →

The return of manufacturing to the former Ford site in Geelong has commenced, with wind turbine components currently being assembled at the factory. For the first time in 10 years, wind turbines are being assembled in Australia, and are providing an alternative manufacturing future for the old automotive plant. “It’s the first-time wind turbines have … Continue reading Wind turbine manufacturing hub officially opened →

Growth in the medtech and pharmaceutical sector in Victoria has earnt $2.2 billion in exports in 2018. Pharmaceuticals are now the highest-value manufactured export product in the state and grew by 255 per cent over the past four years. “Victoria’s medtech and pharma industry is one of this state’s most important sectors, not only for … Continue reading Medtech manufacturing leads Victorian export boom →

The Victorian government has begun an interactive design process with local manufacturers to develop its next order of trains and trams. Currently, manufacturers are invited to develop proposals and participate in a collaborative design process, and workshops will be held over the next months to bring together manufacturers and government. The new trams will replace … Continue reading Interactive design process to ensure local content in new trams, trains →

Experts engaged to give advice on Victoria’s circular economy (CE) plan warn that without industry input, the strategy’s success could be jeopardised. RMIT professors Scott Valentine and Usha Iyer-Raniga, who have given input to the government in feedback workshops, highlighted that the strategy should not just go towards grappling with Victoria’s waste and recycling crisis, … Continue reading Circular economy needs industry input: experts →

The Victorian government has ordered the next batch of six VLocity trains, to be built locally at Bombardier’s site in Dandenong. 100 direct jobs will be supported by the current stage of the $340 million project, which will see the manufacturing of 18 new three-carriage trains to serve regional Victoria. “Bombardier are a world leader … Continue reading Order received for locally produced VLocity train sets →

The potential for hemp fibres to be used in industry is the subject of a new taskforce, created by the Victorian government. Today, the food industry uses hemp products, however, the taskforce hopes to expand the number of industries that can use the environmentally friendly and sustainable product. “Hemp has huge potential in so many … Continue reading Taskforce to investigate hemp for industrial uses →

As part of the Metro Tunnel project, the Victorian government has constructed an $18 million purpose-built factory to produce concrete segments to line the walls of the tunnel. The segment manufacturing facility can produce roughly 150 curved segments each day, at a rate of one every seven minutes. The plant employs 70 people, many of … Continue reading Metro building drives Victorian manufacturing →

Victorian businesses are now able to apply for grants from the Workforce Training Innovation Fund. The fund provides support for industry and education providers to utilise innovative technologies and processes to upskill students to fit the needs of employers. Seed funding of $50,000 per project or grant funding of up to $5 million per project … Continue reading Partnerships between industry and education develops new products →

Victoria hopes to attract more students to study defence manufacturing with an $855,000 grant for a new defence manufacturing skills training project. A.W. Bell, located in Dandenong South, will work with education provider Chisholm Institute and other industry partners to create a training course in investment casting and defence manufacturing, the first in Australia. The … Continue reading Funding for defence manufacturing skills →

The Victorian government is encouraging manufacturers in Geelong to invest in innovation, with a $40,000 towards local business groups. Encouraging best practices in day-to-day business, businesses in Victoria’s second largest city are being incentivised to run development activities. Examples of two events that are supported under this program are the Geelong Small Business Festival, run … Continue reading Victorian government offers boost to Geelong manufacturers →

Solar manufacturers and those involved in the construction of solar farms have a new guideline in Victoria. The planning guidelines will apply to large-scale solar farms, and cover decision makers, solar farm developers, and communities. The document, “Solar Energy Facilities – Design and Development Guideline”, was the product of nine months of development and consultation, … Continue reading Guideline to create certainty in Victorian solar energy →