A new industry-led advisory council has been set up by the Queensland government to strengthen the state’s manufacturing sector and lift supply chain resilience.
The Queensland Manufacturing Advisory Council (QMAC) brings together 11 industry leaders to provide guidance on how to grow and diversify the state’s $20 billion manufacturing economy.
The council, which met for the first time on Tuesday, includes senior representatives from disciplines like advanced engineering and food processing, and regional small to medium-sized enterprises.
Among the appointees are Manufacturing Skills Queensland chief executive Rebecca Andrews, GLT Trailers chief executive Shay Chalmers, Ferra Engineering managing director Aaron Thompson and Mighty Good Food Group chief executive Emily Pullen.
Regional voices are strongly represented, with members hailing from Townsville, Mackay, Cairns, Toowoomba and Ipswich.
Queensland Manufacturing minister Dale Last said the advisory group would help the Crisafulli government make the state the “most attractive state for manufacturers to invest in”.
The new council will provide independent advice on skills gaps, investment barriers, workforce development, and policy settings to support the growth of high-value manufacturing across the state.
“Building a strong and advanced manufacturing sector not only creates skilled jobs for Queenslanders – it also builds supply chain resilience and Australia’s sovereign manufacturing capacity,” Mr Last said.
“QMAC will play a vital role in advising government on the real-world issues facing manufacturers, especially in regional areas.”
Manufacturing is one of Queensland’s largest industries, employing over 180,000 people, with nearly a quarter of those jobs in rural and regional communities.
In the state Budget last month, the government set aside $180.6 million for a new Sovereign Industry Development Fund that focuses on priority areas like defence, biofuels and biomedical industries.
The fund — which has provided funding over the forward estimates, with the bulk of the money not expected to arrive before 2028-29 — effectively consolidates the state’s existing industry programs.
The government also made good on an election promise to create a separate Transforming Queensland Manufacturing program aimed at “reshoring and onshoring” manufacturing.
With Justin Hendry
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