Blacktown City commits to local industry

In a New South Wales first, the City of Blacktown is driving the message home about supporting local manufacturing, by joining forces with the Australian Made Campaign.

Blacktown City Council (BCC), which forms the largest local Government area in New South Wales, will become the first Council in New South Wales to form a partnership with the Campaign.

Australian Made Campaign Chief Executive, Ian Harrison said that the City of Blacktown set a good example for other councils, and hoped that more Councils in the region would follow suit.

BCC and Australian Made will be working together to facilitate investment, economic development and prosperity within the municipality.

BCC is currently undertaking a number of initiatives to assist local manufacturers in remaining competitive. Earlier this month the Council announced a joint research program with the University of Western Sydney, aimed at identifying the requirements for transitioning towards advanced manufacturing, and the means to facilitate it. The Council also has local procurement policies in place, and regularly promotes ‘buy local’ campaigns aimed at both the consumer and business communities.

Blacktown City Mayor, Stephen Bali, said that the message about buying locally made and grown products was particularly important for the Blacktown economy, which is heavily reliant on the manufacturing sector. The industry employs 12% of the local 111,000-strong workforce.

“Given our positioning, we want to raise awareness of the potential for growth and prosperity in this sector, and to help to facilitate it. Our relationship with the Australian Made Campaign plays an important part in this,” Mayor Bali said.

“We are proud to have over 1000 manufacturing businesses from various sectors in our municipality, 68% of which are small businesses.”

“There is no doubt the sector is presented with many challenges. Many of our local manufacturing sector are meeting the challenge. They are innovating and transitioning into the era of advanced manufacturing. Blacktown City Council wants to celebrate these success and play our part to support our local industry.

Blacktown City Council serves one of the largest and fastest growing areas in Australia, and if it can lead change locally, its work has the potential to be applied across the country.

More than 2000 businesses are currently registered to use the Australian Made, Australian Grown certification trade mark, which is administered and promoted by the not-for-profit Australian Made Campaign, and can be found on more than 15,000 products sold here and around the world.

Blacktown City’s GSL Electronics is one such business, which has been ‘flying the flag’ for Australian manufacturing in Seven Hills.

“We are an award-winning, family-owned and run business that has been designing and manufacturing electrical and solar products for trucks, emergency vehicles, 4WDs, caravans, camper trailers and other vehicles for over 20 years,” GSL’s National Sales Manager, David Wilkinson, said.

“We design our products for Australian conditions and we pride ourselves on our high Australian content, and welcome the news that the Blacktown City Council is getting behind the Australian Made Campaign.”

To register your business or Council with the Australian Made Campaign, visit www.australianmade.com.au.  
                                                                                             

*Roy Morgan Research 2012
**Survey of exporters conducted by YSC Online in 2010

Caption: L-R: Australian Made Campaign NSW Sales Manager, Damian Schroder; Mayor of Blacktown City, Councillor Stephen Bali; GSL Electronics Assistant Managing Director Sam Jones; GSL Electronics Managing Director, Lindsay Jones.