The Australian Government is committed to building a Future Made in Australia.
The National Rail Manufacturing Plan is an ambitious, long-term commitment to grow domestic manufacturing capabilities in rail rolling stock. The plan will help address our growing transport needs, reduce our domestic emissions and deliver good jobs in our regions and outer suburbs. Increasing domestic manufacturing capabilities will also help provide the economies of scale required to design uniquely Australian trains and components and compete in export markets and global supply chains.
This National Rail Procurement and Manufacturing Strategy outlines tangible actions the Australian Government will take to grow a sustainable national rail manufacturing sector, increasing productivity and local industry participation. Its 6 pillars achieve 3 objectives:
- Harmonise and simplify rolling stock procurement across Australia to increase productivity and boost local industry participation.
- Investigate early opportunities to boost Australia’s domestic capability in manufacturing passenger rolling stock, freight and heavy haul manufacturing.
- Identify early opportunities to support the key enablers of rolling stock manufacturing: research, innovation, jobs and skills.
The Strategy complements other Australian Government initiatives to revitalise Australian manufacturing capability. The $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund (NRF) is the largest investment in Australian manufacturing by a government in Australian peacetime history. The NRF identifies transport as a priority sector.
The Industry Growth Program, announced in the last Budget, will deliver advice and grants for businesses to commercialise ideas and build a pipeline of investment-ready projects in NRF priority sectors, including transport.
The delivery of the strategy will be supported by the National Rail Manufacturing Advocate and the Rail Industry Innovation Council. The council brings together talented leaders, researchers and innovators to provide expertise on ways to improve research and innovation between industry, customers, researchers and designers.
The strategy is the result of extensive stakeholder consultation across governments, industry and the research community. We thank each person, organisation and state and territory government for their contribution and are committed to continue to work collaboratively with them to deliver the Strategy in the national interest.
