Best of the week — the five most popular stories among readers, July 14 – 18, 2025

What were the five biggest stories of the week? Here’s what visitors to @AuManufacturing were reading.

5) Factory to supply Western Harbour Tunnel Project opens at Emu Plains

A precast concrete factory that will help in construction of the Western Harbour Tunnel project has opened at Western Sydney’s Emu Plains, ahead of the arrival of tunnel boring machines for the Birchgrove to Waverton harbour crossing.

According to a statement from NSW premier Chris Minns on Monday, “around 700 quality manufacturing jobs” will be created at the Emu Plains site, which will build over 13,000 concrete segments and nearly 1,400 culverts for the tunnel.

The factory is expected to operate “for up to three years” to supply Stage 2 of the project, with “potential to be used by other projects or businesses in future”.

4) A frank discussion on grants, government’s role and getting our self-belief back

Panels don’t always cover topics such as unforeseen disasters attached to winning a grant or the untapped potential of propaganda, but the final discussion at the recent Spotlight on Scaling Up seminar did.

Simon Crane, CEO and majority shareholder of 95-year-old industrial and automotive supplier Lovells Group, shared that his company had only once applied for a state government grant, and it was a giant negative.

3) Circuitwise to make second NZ acquisition, gain third premises via ASL

Electronics contract manufacturer Circuitwise Group has announced its second acquisition in New Zealand in the last 12 months, with the Sydney-based company signing an agreement to purchase Assembly Specialists Limited (ASL.)

According to a statement from Circuitwise on Wednesday, it expects to complete the transaction in the September 2025 quarter, and to bolster its ability to deliver “high-quality, innovative solutions across Australasia.”

The size of the deal was not disclosed.

2) NSW government awards $26.2 million in clean technology grants

Sharkskin-inspired aerospace company MicroTau, mineral processor Novalith Technologies and solar farm equipment maker 5B are among 13 companies awarded a total of approximately $26.2 million in Clean Technology Innovation grants.

According to a statement from NSW industry minister Anoulack Chanthivong and others on Tuesday, the assistance is for “developing and implementing technologies that don’t currently exist in the marketplace” and which could reduce emissions. Funding is worth between  $400,000 and $5 million per project.

1) BlueScope secures right-of-last refusal for Whyalla Steelworks

BlueScope Steel has secured a pivotal advantage in the sale of Whyalla Steelworks, gaining a “right-of-last-offer” provision that gives it the opportunity to beat any final offers to acquire the facility, as The Australian Financial Review reports.

The administrators have granted the ASX-listed company the ability to form a consortium with other interested parties and get the last look at any deal before it’s sold to another party.

This is expected to come as an affront to other bidders in what has been a highly competitive process. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said the process for the steelworks has drawn interest from 33 parties, 60 per cent of whom are offshore.

Picture: credit Joeltbooth (public domain)