Grants close gap in personal protection gear

Grants worth almost $1.5m will enable four local businesses to pivot to producing personal protection equipment in Australia.

About $1.5m worth of grants will enable local manufacturers to produce more personal protection equipment in Australia. Picture: Getty Images

The federal government has given grants worth almost $1.5m to enable four businesses to make the pivot to producing prerequisites and PPE in Australia.

The signing of the deal comes after federal Industry Minister Karen Andrews said the government wanted to secure domestic production of key PPE materials.

The money has come from the Australian Manufacturing Fund, which has been given $2m to support businesses identified through the federal industry task force set up to secure PPE in the fight against COVID-19.

Kestrel manufacturing will be given $495,000 to assist in the production of filter material needed for surgical and P2 masks.

RRJ Engineering will be given $392,000 to assist in the manufacture of plastic PPE components, including hand-sanitiser bottles, pumps and closures.

RRJ boss Royston Kent said it “gives industry the confidence to invest in its people, facilities and to update technology”.

“Our project will be unique and will give us the opportunity to add value to our business and the local medical industry,” Mr Kent said.

Clets Linen has been given $213,000 to assist it in scaling up capacity to fulfil ongoing orders for disposable isolation gowns.

Clothing company Nobody Denim will receive $400,000 to install up to 20 new sewing machines to produce isolation gowns.

Nobody Denim co-founder John Condillis said his business would look to scale up manufacturing and employment in its Thornbury factory, in Melbourne’s inner north.

“We’ve got the facilities. What we don’t have is the equipment; they don’t exist in Australia, (there’s) never been a market for it,” he said.

“We’re planning to do 200,000-300,000 a year, but we could potentially do more. That will mean an extra 15-20 at a minimum of (new) employees.”

Ms Andrews said support from the fund would make Australia more self-sufficient in a crisis: “This is about more than just the here and now of the COVID-19 pandemic, this is about working with our local manufacturers to produce the supplies that will make Australia more safe and secure into the future.”

She said the pandemic had exposed gaps in Australia’s capability to produce essential medical supplies and this would help address that and boost a sector that had been battered by the coronavirus disruption.

“This co-investment will not only develop our local manufacturing capability, it will see staff upskilled and new opportunities created both directly and indirectly along the supply chain.

“These investments will also help industries impacted by COVID-19, especially the textiles, clothing and footwear industry which employs over 31,000 Australians in manufacturing jobs.”

Opposition employment and industry spokesman Brendan O’Connor said that while he welcomed the money for PPE, the government lacked an agenda for Australian manufacturing.