Manufacturers and the supply chain have been part of the Australian industrial landscape since the 1830s when the first blast furnace was introduced. The sector peaked in the 1960s with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) input of 25 per cent – although it’s now below six per cent.
In 2025, the South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance (SEMMA) launched its Australian Manufacturing BLUEPRINT. The policy platform has enabled SEMMA to have stronger conversations with policy makers about legislative reform in a bid to reduce the ‘political red tape’ which increases the cost of doing business.
SEMMA’s five pillars of growth – economic, energy, educate, expand and evolve – focus on key areas where manufacturing can continue to add value and increase Australia’s GDP from 5.9 per cent to 10 per cent in five years.
SEMMA CEO, Honi Walker, says the association believes goals are necessary to get results.
“SEMMA has been advocating for manufacturers for 23 years and we continue to make our members’ needs known at all levels of government,” she says. “We are a political bipartisan, member-funded, not-for-profit organisation.
“For manufacturers, SEMMA will continue to advocate for a freeze on land tax, payroll tax and WorkCover premiums for small to medium-sized enterprises.
“We will continue to ask the regulators to do their job when it comes to Local Jobs First content and toughening our anti-dumping laws.”
SEMMA is also known for its ability to connect businesses. According to Honi, its members do not feel the need to compete. SEMMA’s membership network gives them the complementary channels which enable them to engage like-minded businesses as sounding boards, build up strong partnerships and learn from these extensive networking relationships.
“Manufacturing has played a foundational role in supporting the Australian economy for many decades,” she says. “It is time to recognise and acknowledge the significant contribution of our industry to the Australian way of life.”
While SEMMA might be based in the southeast regions of Melbourne, Victoria, it has an eye on the national economy and its place in it. In fact, Melbourne’s southeast has recently been acknowledged by a Deloitte report to be the manufacturing powerhouse of Australia.
According to a AI Group, the southeast region contributes $89 billion to Australia’s economy and employs 75,400 people through 3,801 manufacturers. Manufacturing is the sixth largest industry nationally, generating $137 billion in value-added output and employing 930,000 people. It contributes 12.4 per cent to Australia’s exports and 7.9 per cent to capital expenditure.
“We believe there is enough manufacturing opportunity to go around, but government policy must help not hinder our smart, secure and sustainable manufacturers,” Honi says. “If you’d like to have your say, join us. Become a SEMMA member and we’ll keep raising the profile and voice of manufacturing.”
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