Mackay Roadshow to drive an Australian Manufacturing Renaissance
The fight to save Australian manufacturing and reclaim our national sovereignty begins in the industrial heart of Mackay, as local industry prepares to challenge the policies that have left our country vulnerable to foreign imports and skyrocketing costs.
Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox, has officially announced a Manufacturing Roadshow to be held in Mackay on 30 April 2026. This initiative is designed to connect local manufacturing businesses directly with the decision-makers in Canberra, ensuring that the voices of regional Queensland are at the forefront of national policy. As the industrial engine room of the state, the Mackay region plays a critical role in bolstering Australia’s sovereign capability and economic resilience.
"I am focused on building an advanced manufacturing capability for our country," Mr Willcox said.
"This means that Australian manufacturers can design, produce, and scale high-tech, high-value goods using cutting-edge processes, a skilled workforce, and integrated supply chains.”
Mr Willcox warned that Australia is currently failing to be cost-competitive in heavy industry and advanced sectors. He attributed this to the current government's singular focus on decarbonisation at the expense of practical industry policy.
"For Labor, energy and industry policy are both focused on a single objective, and that is reaching Net Zero.
“This reckless race to renewables is being funded by an estimated one trillion dollars for a renewables grid that is fundamentally reliant on the importation of wind and solar components from places like China. Even Treasury’s own National Interest Framework suggests that our industrial policy is dependent on a grid built out using foreign technology. We are essentially offshoring our future."
The impact of these policies is being felt on the ground in Mackay. Mr Willcox recently visited Jennmar, a local business that produces critical roof bolts for underground coal mines. For decades, these safety-critical components have been Australian-made using steel milled in Whyalla. However, local manufacturers are being undercut by imported Chinese-made roof bolts.
"We are the biggest exporter of coking coal and iron ore in the world; these are the two essential ingredients for steel. Yet, we are no longer self-sufficient, and we risk losing our domestic industry entirely,” Mr Willcox said.
“One of our steel mills is already on taxpayer-funded support. We must address the dumping of finished steel products from overseas that land on our shores cheaper than we can produce them here.
"If we want a prosperous and secure Australia, we must prioritise domestic production and unleash our own energy resources,” Mr Willcox said.
Mr Willcox argued that the nation needs a manufacturing renaissance to protect key industries and grow the country in a way that allows people to feel they can have a family and build a future.
"My focus remains clear: we must reduce the crippling energy costs and provide the reliable, firm base load power that our manufacturers need to be competitive.
“We must scrap the ideological constraints that stymie investment and instead prioritise the resources we have right here at home.
“COVID-19 taught us that we cannot rely on unstable global supply chains; yet here we are again, at the mercy of the Middle East. We must be able to stand on our own two feet."
The Manufacturing Roadshow will be held at the Resources Centre of Excellence (RCOE) from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. Local manufacturers are encouraged to attend and present the unique challenges they face, from regulatory red tape to workforce shortages.
Local manufacturers are encouraged to RSVP as soon as possible to secure a place in this vital policy discussion.
RSVP’s can be emailed to: Andrew.Willcox.MP@aph.gov.au.
ENDS
Caption: Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox, hearing firsthand about the challenges facing our local manufacturers before the Manufacturing Roadshow kicks off at the RCOE on 30 April.
Contact: Amanda Wright | Media & Communications Adviser
P | 07 4944 0662 M | 0455 456 705 E | Amanda.Wright@aph.gov.au