Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to celebrate another investment in jobs and advanced manufacturing in Corangamite, this time under our $29.5 million Geelong Region Innovation and Investment Fund, or GRIIF. While the previous, Labor government announced GRIFF, every single cent of the $15 million allocated by the Commonwealth has been proudly delivered by our government.

It was terrific to be joined by the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Christopher Pyne, in Geelong last week when we announced that some of our region's most innovative manufacturers have been awarded another $11.2 million in grants. This will create another 145 new jobs, bringing the total number of jobs delivered by the GRIIF over two years to 840.

We toured Jeff Sykes & Associates, a cutting-edge manufacturer of high-end rowing equipment, a great company in Geelong; and AKD Softwoods, another great company, which received $3.5 million. I also want to mention the other grant recipients: Air Radiators, Caronlab, The Edge Glass, Irrewarra Sourdough and MC Herd.

I do want to acknowledge the important contributions of Alcoa and Ford, at $5 million each, and the $4.5 million coming from the state. It is regrettable, however, that the Victorian government is playing games with $7.5 million it promised but did not deliver. Unfortunately, it has not handed over that money. It needs to do so, because it is jeopardising jobs. That money has to be handed over ASAP.