C4GS Forum welcomes Senior Adviser for Manufacturing

The session was an opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues impacting regional manufacturing - and to showcase the remarkable innovation in products, processes and thinking driven by local industry.

Our conversation covered energy, electricity and gas, workforce, the cost to do business, local content and the flow through implications of water recovery for regional processors.

Our members highlighted the challenges of sourcing the trades and skilled professionals required by their increasingly automated and sophisticated manufacturing sites, and the urgent need to address energy reliability and electricity grid's ability to meet industrial needs across the region - from Cobram to Echuca, Kyabram, Tatura and Shepparton.  

DEECA's Director - Major Energy Projects Emma Dunne and colleague Michelle Andrews also joined us for an update on the forthcoming Energy Innovation Fund - round 3 that will provide grants of up to $2 million with a focus on the food and beverage processing and manufacturing sector. 

The grant program is expected to open for applications later this month.

The session followed our CEOs meeting with Tim in Melbourne last month where we were able to outline key issues of energy, workforce, education and water and our recent road trip with representatives from DEECA, Solar Victoria, and advisers to the Victorian Ministers for Energy and Climate Action. 

Thank you to guests our manufacturers and also to our members and friends from Department of Education, La Trobe University, University of Melbourne, GOTAFE/Wodonga TAFE and RDV for their valued contribution.