Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As part of my fight for jobs in Corangamite, I am advocating very hard for Geelong to become the home of an industry growth centre in advanced manufacturing. We are a great city of innovation and we have so much potential to grow from strength to strength. I am delighted to share the news that our government will hold a roundtable with local manufacturers and key stakeholders in Geelong as part of our rollout of industry growth centres.

The chair of the IGC in advanced manufacturing, Andrew Stevens, will be at Deakin next week, next Wednesday, attending the roundtable at the Centre for Advanced Design in Engineering Training. So that is great news and a great opportunity for Geelong, in Corangamite, to push its credentials and to advocate very hard for this IGC. IGCs are so important in fostering relationships between business and research, making Australia even more competitive in global markets.

Funding of $60 million, comprising grants of up to $1 million, will be available to convert great ideas into profitable commercial projects. There will also be another $63 million for large-scale collaborative projects to build the capability and competitiveness of the sectors. Each and every day I am fighting for jobs, having a go. With 500 employing some 12,000 people in our region, we have a very strong future in advanced manufacturing. That is why we need an industry growth centre in advanced manufacturing in Geelong.