PRIME MINISTER:
I just want to say congratulations to Deakin University. We have here in Geelong pioneered Derek, by the brilliant research and development that you and your team have done here, the world’s leading centre for the development and the production of advanced carbon fibre materials.
What an extraordinary story, what a great testament to the ingenuity and the innovation, to ensure we have the jobs of the future. 21st Century, advanced manufacturing here in Geelong with Australian technology and now being backed – as of course it has been right from the outset, but once again – by the Australian Government.
Now I’m delighted to be here with Sarah Henderson, the most persuasive and energetic local member any community could ask for. So passionate in her belief in the talents of her community, she’s as dynamic as your operations here, Acting Vice-Chancellor, are innovative. Dynamism, innovation, technology, that’s what it’s all about.
We’re here with John McVeigh, the Minister for Regional Development and of course, we’re also joined by the Member for South Barwon, Mr Katos as well, to announce $20 million in grants to local businesses, local enterprise and local infrastructure under our Regional Jobs and Investment Package. They cover a wide range, the largest of them goes to LeMond. I was just speaking to Jamie there, the Chief Operations Officer and what the LeMond is going to do is receive $5 million from the Regional Jobs and Investment Package. It’ll also receive some more from Deakin University and of course its raised substantial funds of its own. What it’s going to be doing is making – did you say 1500 tonnes? 1500 tonnes of this advanced carbon fibre composite material; strong, light, the absolute world’s best. It will be making that and will be part of the carbon fibre, advanced fibre, industry here in the Geelong, which has grown from the research at Deakin University.
Derek, you were saying about 1500 people employed and how many businesses involved did you say? More than ten companies, so more than ten businesses, 1500 jobs and more jobs to come as a result of the Regional Jobs and Investment Package. Investments not just in Geelong but in the other projects that are being announced today. But this is an example of the way in which my Government is leading to deliver the jobs and growth we promised in 2016 at the election. We do that with policies that encourage enterprise, that encourage investment, that support innovation. Innovation and science are at the heart of securing our future, the future for our children and grandchildren, the jobs of the 21st Century.
I was very delighted of course to visit Carbon Revolution during the election campaign and for somebody who has never claimed to be much of a weight-lifter, to be able to lift the wheel rim, that said nothing about my muscular development, but a lot about the extraordinary lightness of the materials you’ve developed. But it is a great story. It’s a great story about investment, innovation and jobs and there are many other projects that we’re supporting. Infrastructure at the Royal Geelong Yacht Club that is going to be very important there, we’ve got investments that are going into clean energy companies, investments that are going into other tourism infrastructure. This is a very well-developed package, $20 million across the whole Geelong region, which is going to deliver and support 600 jobs in total. So that is part of the real growth that we’re seeing in jobs in Australian at the moment.
Last year as you know, 383,000 new jobs created, that’s over 1,000 a day. So, as I said a moment ago, jobs and growth, an election slogan in 2016, it is an outcome today.
Sarah, I’m delighted to be here with you today. John, I’m delighted to be here with Deakin University.
Why don’t we give Deakin a round of applause for the extraordinary leadership?
[Applause]
THE HON. DR JOHN MCVEIGH – MINISTER FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, TERRITORIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT:
Great to be here, ladies and gentlemen. Great to be here with the Prime Minister on this very important day. Of course, fantastic to be here with Sarah Henderson our colleague and Sarah and I and a number of our colleagues are regional members of the Parliament and we’ve been talking long and hard with the Prime Minister and the rest of the leadership team about what’s required for regional development, what’s required for regional Australia. As the Prime Minister said, it does simply, ladies and gentlemen, come down to jobs and growth.
With the Regional Jobs Investment Package, and this of course is the first of the ten pilot projects we’re rolling out here in the Geelong region with the Member for Corangamite, Sarah, today, we’re focused on just that – that investment is to very important and I’m thrilled that here in the Geelong area, $20 million goes a long way to delivering on those government commitments. Here as the Prime Minister said it means 600 jobs in this implementation and construction phase including for example what LeMond is doing here with Deakin University. It means 600 jobs ongoing. And the fact the Prime Minister and Sarah and I think that really excites us is that 200 jobs of those, 200 of those jobs are in the advanced manufacturing sector.
I guess Geelong is an example, as we all know, of a region going through structural change but it has such a history of manufacturing expertise, advanced manufacturing expertise of innovation as the Prime Minister has said.
So, I’m really thrilled to be here today to see the first of our Regional Jobs Investment Package program being rolled out. There are ten across the country in this pilot program and it will bring so much in terms of government investment to support the sort of innovation we’re seeing here between LeMond, Deakin and of course all of those other projects the Prime Minister has referred to and those that Sarah will no doubt go on to detail for us as well.
As the Prime Minister said this is all about the Turnbull Government delivering on its commitments and getting on with that job of development of jobs and innovation.
Thank you very much.
SARAH HENDERSON MP – MEMBER FOR CORANGAMITE:
Gary, thank you very much and good morning everyone, to the Prime Minister, to John, to Andrew, to representatives from Deakin and of course to the many recipients of this amazing fund here today, celebrating a huge economic boost into our region, not just in Geelong but right across the Corangamite electorate, from the Bellarine through Geelong to places like Marengo down near Apollo Bay covering a whole range of industries in manufacturing, in tourism, in food processing, in new start ups and of course in advanced manufacturing.
As the Prime Minister has said the biggest grant is to LeMond and we are so excited about what LeMond is going to do in Geelong.
We are fast becoming an advanced manufacturing powerhouse in Australia. The pre-eminent place to manufacture and we are so proud.
And can I say since we were elected in 2013, I think and I am very, very proud of the way in which the Federal Coalition Government has contributed to developing and turning around Geelong’s economy. Much hard work has been done to drive those jobs, to drive the confidence and to drive the business investment.
And I have to say, that we’ve got, we might see that we’ve got another announcement coming shortly – it is super Wednesday here in Geelong! It is an absolutely great day.
So, I would just like to very briefly run through the projects which will be receiving funding - they’re of course detailed in the release.
LeMond Composites. Cape Brockway Road Development. The Conservation Ecology Centre. The Royal Geelong Yacht Club. Flat Glass Industries. Conflux Technology. Pure Ponics. EMU Australia. CMTP. York Sourdough. Anglesea Surf Lifesaving Club and Goyer Goyer Police will be delivering some funding Anglesea. 36T Proprietary Limited. McMeckan Consulting which is the owner of Basil Farms on the Bellarine doing some amazing work in tourism. Capricorn Power working in conjunction with Austinge. Colac Otway Shire helping to fund the ongoing development of Lake Colac which is so important to the Colac community. Australian New Energy – two grants for Australian New Energy. Homestead Australia Tarndwarncoort. CPS Colac which is all about supporting design of local garments in Colac. DRW Investments working on heavy vehicle safety and increasing local capacity to service heavy vehicles. That’s a Skills and Training Program. And Teamworks Performance which is another local garment manufacturer investment as well.
So all up ladies and gentlemen, $20 million and Prime Minister can I say to you, thank you so much most sincerely for your incredible support for our region; for Geelong, for Corangamite, for Victoria. I am so proud of what our government is delivering. This has come about by lots of lots very hard work by many people of course by many of you here today who have worked so hard showing belief and confidence in our region. A sense of future, a sense of investment that you know is going to drive our future opportunities and our aspirations.
Thank you so much Prime Minister. Thank you everyone today. As I say this is an absolutely great day for Corangamite.
Thank you.
[ENDS]