Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to speak about something Australians care deeply about: making things here, creating good jobs here and ensuring Australia remains a nation that builds, innovates and manufactures for our future. At the last election, the Albanese Labor government made a clear promise to Australians that we would focus on building Australia's future, not just talking about the future but actually building it—building the industries that will power the next generation of jobs, building the skills and manufacturing capability we need here in Australia and building an economy that is stronger, more resilient and better prepared for the future. And that's exactly what we've been delivering, especially in my seat of Paterson, but more broadly across our Hunter region, New South Wales and the country.

In recent months, two outstanding local businesses, MGA Thermal in Tomago and VeraSys in Medowie, have received support through government programs that are helping innovate Australian companies, which is helping them grow and succeed. MGA Thermal has received support through ARENA, and the funding is going to lead to incredible thermal energy storage technology that is being developed in the Hunter—technology with the potential to transform how we store and use renewable energy. Meanwhile, VeraSys is delivering advanced systems and engineering solutions that are helping Australian agriculture, and it's such an interesting piece of technology. It's a drone that has AI capabilities that is going to be able to fly over crops, identify weeds, do weed mapping and then create solutions for our ag sector to use less diesel and less herbicide. But, most importantly, it will save time. These things are changing the way we modernise and they are increasing productivity, particularly of our ag sector. I can't wait to hear more about VeraSys and those young people, many of whom have come out of the University of Newcastle and are doing really great work.

Of course, we can't talk about manufacturing and industry in our region without recognising the enormous contribution of Tomago Aluminium. For decades, Tomago has been one of the Hunter's major employers. It is the largest aluminium smelter in the country. It supports thousands of direct and indirect jobs across our region and plays a critical role in developing Australia's sovereign manufacturing operations, and we know we are going to need more aluminium, not less, in the future. If there's one thing that the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz has shown us, it is that being able to manufacture things here really is still so important.

While we're talking about manufacturing, I can't go past the magnificent M1. I've stood in this place many a time and spoken about it being the last choke point between Sydney and Brisbane. We are fixing that, and I want to give a big shout-out to those people who have been building that road, the workers for John Holland Gamuda, who are doing the 10 kays south, and the Seymour Whyte employees, who have done an incredible job. Not only has this project come in on budget; it's going to be over 12 months early. That is a remarkable piece of infrastructure building.

We talk about being made in Australia. When that 15 kays of magnificent roadway gets opened, there'll be nothing like it in our region. And it really will be testament to Hunter workers and those people who have joined that construction. It is being made in Australia. Businesses like MGA Thermal, VeraSys, Tomago Aluminium, John Holland Gamuda and Seymour Whyte are not only innovating, adapting and helping shape Australia's industrial future; they're building it right now for us before our eyes. They're exactly the kinds of businesses we should be backing—businesses that are investing locally, employing locally, training locally and helping position Australia as a leader in innovation and advanced manufacturing.

Fittingly, last week we celebrated Australian Made Week. It is a chance to recognise and support the incredible products, businesses and industries that are made and produced right here in Australia. I want to thank those businesses for getting up early and for backing Australian workers. When they put their head on the pillow at night, they're thinking about their profit and loss, and I want them to know that they've got a partner in this government that's thinking with them.

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