FAPM releases video urging support of Australian automotive industry

FAPM says the biggest challenge currently facing Australia's car and component manufacturers is convincing business owners to make new investments in Australia to support the introduction of new technologies and the development of new skills and production processes.

The federation believes it is essential that government and industry leaders work together in the pursuit of a stable and competitive long-term policy environment that will attract new investments, as well as overcome tariff barriers imposed by some of Australia’s trading partners that inhibit exports of locally made automotive products to those countries.

It believes for local manufacturing to be sustainable, Australia needs to produce 300,000 vehicles per year, with 200,000 of those sold domestically – roughly double the current rate – and 100,000 exported.

The federation’s action plan includes a number of strategies to support the automotive industry including providing rebates on locally made cars, introducing a national plan for government procurement of Australian-made cars, removing fringe benefits tax from hybrid and LPG-powered vehicles, continuing to fund the Automotive Supply Chain Development Program (ASCDP) and restructuring the Automotive Industry Structural Adjustment Program (AISAP), among others.

As the clip explains, Australia is one of only 13 countries in the world that can take a car all the way from the design studio to the showroom. Our automotive industry employs about 50,000 people directly and up to 300,000 indirectly.