Stop blaming wages and power bills. Here’s what’s really holding back Australian manufacturing

Tropes about high costs don’t tell the whole story when it comes to making things in Australia. Those aren’t the real reasons why the industry’s share of GDP is so low, explains Dominic Parsonson. Manufacturing isn’t a “nice to have” for Australia, it’s a pillar of growth, resilience and national security. Yet whenever we talk…

Manufacturing drives circular economy innovation at Waste Expo Australia 2025

Sponsored Australia’s largest gathering of resource recovery professionals returns to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on 29-30 October 2025, with free registrations now open for the nation’s premier event for resource recovery and sustainable solutions.  Australia’s manufacturing sector is at the forefront of the resource recovery sector and the circular economy revolution, with Waste…

The global plastics treaty process has fallen flat. Here’s what went wrong, and how you can help

By Melanie MacGregor, Flinders University Progress towards a legally binding global treaty on plastics pollution stalled and went into reverse this week. The United Nations Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, ran overtime. It’s likely to conclude this evening, without agreement. This is an incredibly disappointing result. As a member of the Scientists’ Coalition…

Withdrawal of major investor, subsequent “cash crisis” cited in Energy Renaissance’s collapse

The administrator to Energy Renaissance has given “withdrawal of a major investor from a planned funding subscription program” as the reason for the battery maker’s difficulties. According to a short statement from Jirsch Sutherland provided to @AuManufacturing on Sunday, the withdrawal “left the company in a cash crisis“.  Stewart Free and Bradd Morelli of Jirsch…

Best of the week — the five most popular stories among readers, August 11 – August 15, 2025

What were the five biggest stories of the week? Here’s what visitors to @AuManufacturing were reading. 5) 11 grants awarded under Supply Chain Uplift Program Recipients of grants under Round 5 of the state government’s Supply Chain Uplift Program have been announced, with approximately $800,000 awarded to 11 Victorian businesses. State manufacturing minister Colin Brooks visited Hanwha…