Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to address the very important issue of employment and jobs in South Australia but particularly in the southern suburbs of Adelaide. Creating jobs for South Australia is important, but I do note the focus has been previously on the northern suburbs of Adelaide. But I today would like to draw attention to the southern suburbs of Adelaide, which are equally important in creating and driving job growth in South Australia. I could stand here and talk about the Turnbull government's failure to support South Australian jobs, but today I want to speak about ways to create thriving businesses and a production centre in the southern suburbs of Adelaide.

There is much opportunity and potential for the south to be a great production centre. However, without concentrated action, I feel the southern suburbs and the industrial area of Lonsdale will not reach its full potential. Action needs to be taken to ensure that manufacturing can flourish in the south. A key component of this is continuing to promote and build the industrial hub of Lonsdale to be the engine room of the south. There are a large number of companies in Lonsdale. These companies produce a multitude of different products. We have a wide variety of businesses that are run by locals who are passionate about the area. These businesses cover a number of different industries, including, importantly, a lot of advanced manufacturing. There are printing companies. There are companies that produce food products and companies that customise batteries, and there is a significant electronics production centre. And of course there is automotive manufacturing. This is just to name a few.

These companies know that Lonsdale is a great place to manufacture and do business. They know that Lonsdale is the engine room of the south. This is the perfect area to promote advanced manufacturing and jobs, but there does need to be a coordinated approach. Action does need to be taken to ensure that the industrial hub of Lonsdale can indeed reach its full potential. That is why today I am calling for the establishment of a Lonsdale task force to be created to support business and growth in the area. This task force's goal would be to not only support businesses to continue to operate in the area but also look at incentives to help business establish in Lonsdale. This task force must have all levels of government represented to ensure its success and must deliver a coordinated approach. It must include the voice of business and the work force to ensure that those directly on the ground are heard. Council can play a very important role with zoning and putting the land to more effective use. State and federal government can provide incentives for businesses to relocate to Lonsdale. Specifically, the federal government can free up funding from the Automotive Transformation Scheme to help the automotive manufacturers in particular, as well as advanced manufacturing, to make the transition to Lonsdale.

Work can be done, as with the Tonsley site, on branding the Lonsdale precinct and promoting it well beyond its borders, as well as supporting business's access to both domestic and international markets to sell their products. I think it is really important that we have job opportunities in the southern suburbs. Many people in the local area travel a long way for their source of employment, but I think it is important that we work to create jobs closer to home, and I believe this area has huge potential. And while, as I said at the beginning, there has been a lot of focus on the northern suburbs—and I understand why—the south cannot be forgotten. There are huge manufacturing opportunities in the south. There are already manufacturers doing great work. But we can really grow this. It is important for our local economy to see job creation from new businesses moving into the area of Lonsdale. It is a good location, but it needs careful attention if we are going to achieve this.

It is now time for all levels of government to band together with business and workers to coordinate a way forward for the Lonsdale industrial precinct. The southern community wants the area of Lonsdale to continue to expand, to be a hub of advanced manufacturing and to continue to be the engine room of the south. I concur with these individuals, I support their plight and I will continue to push for the establishment of a Lonsdale task force so that we can ensure that this area meets its potential.