The Coalition Government is delivering on its election commitment to establish a Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission (VCEC) inquiry to inform the strategic direction and growth of Victoria’s manufacturing industry.

Treasurer Kim Wells said the six month inquiry is a key plank of the Coalition’s forward-looking approach to revitalising the manufacturing sector.

“The Coalition is committed to putting in place the right policy settings that will revitalise our manufacturing industry, create new jobs and grow the manufacturing sector’s contribution to our broader economy,” Mr Wells said.

Victoria’s manufacturing sector employs around 310,000 people in a range of industries including automotive car and components, advanced electronics and machinery, defence suppliers, chemicals and plastics, pharmaceuticals, fabricated metals, TCF, and food processing.
  
 Minister for Manufacturing, Exports and Trade Richard Dalla-Riva encouraged all interested parties, including small-to-medium enterprises, to contribute to this important inquiry.

“Victoria’s manufacturers are innovative, quality-driven and committed to their industries. Their forward looking ideas, understanding of current constraints and practical solutions will be pivotal to the outcomes of this inquiry,” Mr Dalla-Riva said.  

“This inquiry is about getting the basics right, backing local innovation, improving our international competitiveness and creating the opportunities for local job creation across Victoria,” Mr Dalla-Riva said.  

For almost a century, Victoria has led Australia as a manufacturing powerhouse, exporting products to the world and creating the bedrock of our state’s jobs market.

The sector declined under the Brumby Labor Government, with Victoria’s share of the national manufacturing industry falling sharply from 31.3 per cent in 2000 to 27.5 per cent in 2009.

Victoria has lost more than 40 per cent of the manufacturing jobs lost in Australia since 2000.

The inquiry will take into account the 2010 report Manufacturing in Victoria by the Economic Development and Infrastructure Committee and will also identify key drivers of future growth across the sector.

The Commission’s inquiry will consider submissions and will release a draft report for consultation before a final report is provided to the government.

For more information on the inquiry visit www.vcec.vic.gov.au.