What a Labor win means for NSW small business

In the lead up to the NSW election, Labor leader Chris Minns spruiked a government that would prioritise local business and manufacturing. Now that he has been elected as Premier, let’s recap what was promised.

Bringing manufacturing back to NSW

Ahead of the election, Minns promised that Labor would prioritise local content and back New South Wales jobs by setting local targets and increasing tender weightings. Labor also plans to set up the NSW Jobs First Commission to back manufacturers in the state.

The plan: to set a 50 per cent target for local contractors for future stock contracts within the first time, a move which would see NSW fall in line with Victoria. It is all part of a grand scheme to rebuild NSW as Australia’s leading domestic manufacturer.

In addition, Labor will increase tender weightings to 30 per cent capturing local content, job creation, small business, and ethical supply chains. Minns suggests this move will bring the state in line with Queensland in adopting a local-first tender process.

Under the previous government NSW lost over 42,000 manufacturing jobs, while comparatively, Queensland gained 6,000. Meanwhile, a further 4,000 jobs were lost to major infrastructure and transport projects sent offshore. Minns’ government is hoping to turn this around.

The NSW Jobs First Commission

NSW Labor will also set up a NSW Jobs First Commission – an independent, expert body, to oversee the implementation and growth of local industries, supporting and advocating for local firms in bidding for government tenders – like they do down south.

Minns said Labor will collaborate with industry and local government to make the state’s demand pipeline as easy as possible for local suppliers.

“New South Wales has a proud history of building in NSW. I want to bring that back, but it requires the will and the belief that we can do this right here in New South Wales,” Minns said.

Addressing the skills gap

Labor has promised to address the skills gap through TAFE manufacturing centres of excellence – starting with Western Sydney, the Hunter, and Illawarra.

“We’ve virtually lost our domestic manufacturing industry under the NSW Liberals and with that, we have lost the skills and the training they provide. Once they go, it’s very difficult to get back,” says Labor MP, Tim Crakanthorp.

“Labor wants NSW to be a manufacturing powerhouse, and we want to train and skill up the next generation of high paid, high skilled workers who will literally build a better NSW for future generations,”

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