Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Ballarat rail yards, currently operated by Alstom, have been an important part of our community for over a century. At their peak, over 50 years ago, the rail yards employed over 600 people. Since their privatisation in 1999, their workers, currently numbering 70, have built over 100 trains. First the workers at these yards built and serviced steam trains, then diesel, and they are now building, maintaining and upgrading trains for Melbourne's metropolitan rail network. The only constant over this time has been a 50-tonne crane, still in operation today, that was built in 1919. I have in my office a photo from the National Archives of the Ballarat railway workers union at one of their rallies.

Recently I met with union representatives and the management at the Ballarat site to discuss the challenges that they are facing. Unlike other state governments, the Andrews government has ensured that trains for Victorians are made by Victorians. That commitment has been critical in securing the future of Alstom in Ballarat, and I commend the Victorian government for that. I understand that there is now an urgent need to do more. Alstom revealed to me, and later to the public, that without any more orders they will be forced to begin to plan for their exit. That would be a devastating impact for families across Ballarat and the wider community. If Alstom withdrew, its industrial capacity would be lost to our region, and once these things are lost it is very difficult to get them back.

During previous gaps between contracts, Alstom paid its workforce to carry out work that benefited the community. It is not often that you see a company paying its workers to garden, to paint and to repair community facilities, but that's what Alstom did. Alstom have repeatedly demonstrated that they want to stay in Ballarat and that they see a future for the site.

Labor was proud to take to the recent election a national rail procurement, maintenance and manufacturing plan to ensure that Australia maintains critical capacity in rail manufacturing. It's important across regional and metropolitan communities. This would break the boom and bust cycle of train manufacturing that has bedevilled employers like Alstom and would help ensure that manufacturing jobs building Australian trains remain in Australia.

I commend the Andrews government for their previous orders, for their efforts to protect and grow Victoria's industrial workforce and for their efforts to keep this important employer working. I know that the state MP, Juliana Addison, is working very hard to try and secure their future. Other state governments should join Victoria in building trains locally. It's important that this manufacturer stays in my community, and I very much hope that, with work by our state MP, that will be the case.