Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

SEMMA welcomes government payroll tax threshold

Industry representative group the South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance (SEMMA) has said that it welcomes the Victorian government lifting the tax-free threshold on payroll tax from $900,000 to $1 million, but says raising it further to $5 million will provide further incentive for small to medium businesses to invest and grow faster. SEMMA said in a statement on Sunday that it has been advocating for changes to the payroll tax threshold for a number of years. “A $100,000 difference is not going to improve productivity or encourage capital investment,” said Honi Walker, CEO of SEMMA. “We need substantial changes to this threshold – at the moment it’s just holding back manufacturers. This equates to hiring one extra person – not enough to give manufacturers the certainty and room to invest and grow… If we can have the payroll tax threshold lifted to $5 [million], that means businesses will be encouraged to invest and that means economic growth.”

ICN National to acquire QMI

Last week the Queensland Manufacturing Institute (QMI), which has operated since 1993, announced its acquisition by the Industry Capability Network’s National Office, following a strategic review. QMI said the acquisition marked “a significant step in enhancing connections between local manufacturers and major national projects.” QMI has been the state licensee for ICN since 2007, “with a strong and trusted partnership delivering billions of dollars of work for Queensland businesses”, it said, and the partnership delivered $1.8 billion of work for local Queensland businesses in the 2023-2024 financial year alone. Leadership of the QMI team will transition to ICN National from July 1. ICN National added that Queensland represents a region with a strong pipeline of major project opportunities. “The acquisition of QMI provides an opportunity to create greater consistency and efficiency nationally to meet the needs of both suppliers and project owners,” said Derek Lark, Chair of ICN National.

Entries open for 2025 NSW Sustainability Awards

Entries opened on Friday for the NSW Sustainability Awards, which are now in their fifth year and recognise “the state’s most innovative and impactful sustainability initiatives.” The awards are delivered by the Banksia Foundation in partnership with the state’s department of the environment and “provide a platform to recognise and celebrate the changemakers driving a more sustainable future – from businesses and communities to individuals and organisations.” The awards will “focus on celebrating regional NSW” according to a statement, and feature nine categories. “Regional NSW is the backbone of the state – home to one-third of the population and a key driver of our economy,” said Banksia Foundation CEO Graz van Egmond. “Your sustainability story matters – whether you’re leading a large-scale sustainability project or making a local impact, your efforts deserve recognition. Applications close on August 8. More information is available here.

AFGC welcomes Victorian energy grants

Lobby group the Australian Food and Grocery Council said that it welcomes $10 million in funding by the Victorian government announced last week to support companies to transition away from gas towards renewable energy. The AFGC said its sector is the third largest user of energy of all of manufacturing nationally, with about 40 per cent of this sourced from gas, and is suffering price volatility and supply issues in the gas market. AFGC CEO Colm Maguire said the grant funding “is a step in the right direction for manufacturers already dealing with high energy prices and uncertainty around future supply.” The group added that further work is needed to ensure renewable alternatives to gas are viable and commercially available at scale, particularly for high-heat industrial processes, which are not easily electrified.

Bernie Brookes appointed Chair of AFGC Board

Last week the AFGC also announced the appointment of Bernie Brookes as Chair of its Board, effective immediately. According to a statement from AFGC, Brookes has over four decades of executive and board-level experience in the retail and consumer goods sectors, both in Australia and internationally, with senior leadership roles including CEO of Myer Australia and Edcon in South Africa, and Executive Director at Woolworths Australia. Brookes is currently Chair of Direct Group (Innovations and TVSN), and Renuon Renewable Energy and has previously sat on Boards of First Unity, Salvation Army Australia and Funtastic. AFGC CEO Colm Maguire said: “The appointment of an independent chair to the Board of Directors marks a positive step forward in strengthening the governance of the AFGC, ensuring objective leadership, enhancing transparency, and reinforcing trust among members, industry partners, and the broader community.” Brookes replaced outgoing Chair Anthony Holme.

Australian Missile Corporation announces incoming CEO

The Australian Missile Corporation has announced that Matthew Gibson will succeed Lee Goddard as CEO, with the appointment effective from July 1. Gibson is currently AMC General Manager – Strategy. Goddard has decided to step down after serving as AMC founding CEO since April 2022, when the company was selected as a partner to the Australian government’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise. He will continue as a company director in a part-time capacity at AMC, which is an independently operated company within the Australian-owned NIOA Group. NIOA Group CEO Rob Nioa said: “Lee’s dedication and vision has laid a strong foundation for the AMC’s success and future growth… Matt is well placed to lead the AMC through the next phase of growth having held leadership roles within NIOA and the AMC. “As the AMC enters this next chapter, I have every confidence that he is the right person to take the company forward.”

TCA, techUK team up

The Tech Council of Australia (TCA) and techUK formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last week, an event they said represents “a significant milestone in technology industry collaboration” between Australia and the United Kingdom. The signing took place at London Tech Week at the UK Department for Business and Trade in the Old Admiralty Building and was announced at the Aus-UK Chamber of Commerce Tech Week Event at Australia House in London. The TCA said in a statement that the partnership “is a practical step toward implementing the objectives of the FTA and formalises those ambitions at an industry level.” At the core of the MoU, it added, is a commitment to supporting technology businesses, especially SMEs, expand across borders. TCA’s Chief Business Officer, Chris O’Connell, said, “The partnership is about deepening channels of engagement between our technology industry sectors. It is about building stronger and deeper tech ecosystems by connecting startups, scaleups, investors, and policy experts. It is fitting that we launch this partnership at London Tech Week, where we are joined by over 70 Australian technology companies.”

Picture: Outgoing Australian Missile Corporation CEO Lee Goddard, right, congratulates Matt Gibson upon his appointment as the new CEO (supplied)