Hansard debates

Mr McGUIRE (Broadmeadows) (10:05:07): Broadmeadows matters because it symbolises hope. It is the promise of Australia. Three years after tears marked the demise of Australia’s once-proud car manufacturing sector the community hardest hit is fighting back and attracting hundreds of millions of dollars in investment, a new sporting field of dreams and a revamp of the town hall where AC/DC starred. It is a long way to the top, but as chair of the Broadmeadows Revitalisation Board I have been delighted to announce multimillion-dollar initiatives to build economic and cultural development. The Victorian government’s investments to revitalise Broadmeadows add to a $500 million private commitment to redevelop the Ford sites to drive growth and new jobs, particularly with technology. The Ford Motor Company is reinvesting hundreds of millions of dollars annually into the Broadmeadows site as its Asia-Pacific centre of excellence for innovation. This is critical for the new industries. Broadmeadows is the home of the award-winning engineering and design of leading models, like the Ranger, that are being sold in more than 180 countries. This is what we need to do to offer higher value, not cut costs, to the world—to actually add value to manufacturing. So we are trying to fast-track through deindustrialisation to deliver the industries and new jobs that will revitalise communities and help Australia pay its way in the world. The Ford factory and the town hall are iconic symbols in Broadmeadows, and their revitalisation defines the change Australia is confronting and the Victorian government is delivering.