Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry and Science) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Makin for his question. I say to him that the government and I as minister are particularly aware of the impacts of the closure of the auto industry, as said earlier. My involvement with the car industry goes back a very long time to 2001, when I inherited a car plan that was pioneered by a previous member for Ryan, Minister John Moore. As I said, we put in place a very significant $4.3 billion program under the ATS to ensure that the industry was able to look at every opportunity. We know that, unfortunately, that did not happen and the industry announced, of its own volition, the fact that it was closing.

The member asked about components of the $150 million growth fund, which our government launched, as I said earlier, in response to issues in relation to the closure of the auto manufacturing industry in Australia. We announced that on 30 April 2014. There are key elements to the growth fund, which totals $155 million. There is a $30 million skills and training program to help automotive workers find new jobs. There is a $15 million extension and modification to the Automotive Industry Structural Adjustment Program to help automotive workers find new jobs when they are retrenched. Both of those programs are up and going. There is a $20 million Automotive Diversification Program to help the auto supply chain firms with their diversification. The member for Makin asked questions in relation to that. Those questions, in the main, are commercial-in-confidence, but I can say that, in the awarding of grants to applicants, it is done simply on the basis of which grants are the best. In its operation, that scheme has also been very successful.

The member also asked about the $60 million Next Generation Manufacturing Investment Program. My department is currently considering applications in relation to that. Based on those considerations, we will be making an announcement in the near future regarding the successful applicants.

As well as that, $30 million in the Regional Infrastructure Program has been allocated, but I have not yet received the commensurate sign-off from the respective state governments. I hope that those governments get on board and realise that communities, as the member for Makin identified, are feeling the impact of these impending closures, and that we are in a position to assist those communities to provide opportunities and infrastructure to assist their workforce affected by this closure.

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