By Casey Neill
More than 200 people attended a manufacturing Christmas celebration in Dandenong South.
The South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance (SEMMA) cocktail evening was also a farewell for long-time staff member Cathy McIntyre.
Nissan Casting Australia hosted the event on Monday 11 December.
Managing director Peter Jones said the plant proudly produced parts emblazoned with a kangaroo that it sent around the world.
“We’re an orphan plant that does some pretty special things and does them very, very well,” he said.
Mr Jones said his engineering team made parts imagined in the mind of someone in Japan a reality.
The plant has contracts until 2025.
Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams said: “Nissan Castings and I are the same age – 1982 was a good year.”
“We are the powerhouse of manufacturing here in Australia, not just Victoria,” she said.
She highlighted manufacturing-related State Government projects from the past year, including breaking ground on the Abbotts Road level crossing removal project in recent weeks.
Ms Williams also mentioned introducing the “jobs first rule” to parliament to enshrine local content requirements, and a “jobs cop” to ensure the rules are followed and “to be an advocate for local content in this state”.
SEMMA president Greg Northrop said the jobs cop was “the best Christmas present manufacturing can have at the moment”, and that rising power prices should be next on the hit list.
SEBN manager Sandra George led a chorus of farewells for Ms McIntyre, who’s leaving SEMMA after seven years to join Victoria Police.
“She’s been the consistent face of SEMMA and always a smiling one at that,” Ms George said.
She said Ms McIntyre had developed strong relationships with the members and always put them first, was kind and supportive and loved to find solutions to problems.
“The police force will be all the better for her,” she said.
Ms McIntyre accepted a T-shirt signed by SEMMA board members and other gifts.
“Being able to help manufacturers has been so rewarding,” she said.
