The way we are heading

2foot6 · Senior Member

The way we are heading

barina · Guru

Ford has just announced they are closing Broadmeadows and Geelong plants October 2016

GaryKelly · Guru

It started with Japanese cars in the 60s, then Korean cars and now Chinese. Australian motorists care more about their wallets than what's good for local manufacturers. If Ford and GMH in Oz took a leaf out of the books of Mercedes, BMW and Volkswagen in Germany, with the country's similar standard of living and wages, they might learn a thing or two about survival in a tough market.

Yuglamron · Guru

They got in before Holden.

I saw a report on morning TV the other day that if they ( The Govt. BOTH sides) had not subsidised Holden to the tune of many billions of dollars they could have paid each worker a thousand dollars a week during that time.

dazren · Guru

Lot more to it than that Gary ?? Population for one, and percentage of that population that can afford to buy New Cars, and the number of brands and types of vehicles available, that is spread out to a small number of potential buyers, We started to destroy Our Manufacturing Industry 50-60 years ago, and now it is to late to do anything about it, The meat industry is a prime example, I left school at age 14, and went to work in the Abbotoirs, in the Western suburbs of Melbourne, At that time there was about 9 BIG abbatoirs in the West of Melb, Employing around 30000 employees, = the people also employed at servicing the Meat industry, In those days Australia used to export our meat all around the world, Today, in the west we have 2 Small abbatoirs employing around 800 people, because we no longer process our animals we put them on ships ??

Fair dinkum ?? take away the mining and resources boom !! and ten see what is left, !! to maintain our lifestyle and economy ''Not bloody much ??

Plendo · Guru

Unfortunately our future does not look good.

We are a small market, so companies struggle to maintain an economic scale unless they can maintain an export trade. Exporting, and in many cases being competitive in our home market is difficult due largely to the high cost of labour, and compounded by the high value of our dollar. Many people blame only the value of the dollar but it is secondary.

As the population of Asia grows, they become more affluent, and their expectations rise, they strive for a better standard of living, part of this is going to be an increased market for fresh and processed food. There will in the future be a huge potential for Australia to be the primary supplier, the food bowl of Asia. However we are also destroying this potential as we remove our ability to grow food, because it is not currently economically viable.

As our manufacturing disappears the people working will be employed by the services industries or by the government. All propped up by the resources we dig out of the ground.

At some point the economic engine we call the resources boom is going to slow down, and we are going to struggle to maintain the lifestyles that people now think is their right. Unemployment is going to rise, social unrest is going to increase, and the gap between the haves and the have nots will just get wider.

This state of affairs will continue to deteriorate until the rest of the world passes our living standard (they go up or we go down), then it will become viable for us to become a supplier again.

I fear it will be a long and painful cycle.

Scotty01 · Senior Member

After years of demanding more and more money, working conditions that do nothing for productivity and Governments ( both parties ) that have gone the global way what more can you expect? We continue to allow foreign countries to buy up businesses and land and send their products here with out having to contend with the regulations that local industry has to. Any industry that does well -- TAX IT OUT OF CONTENSION. Mining is next!

EllenajoeL · Senior Member

I learnt to drive in my dad's ford......I've never owned one personally (nor a holden BTW)......mind you I've never bought a brand new vehicle

and, regardless, which parts of a new ford actually are sourced/patented/constructed here and where does the revenue/profits go etc?

Everyday, every consumer makes a choice. Its should be simple really. Australian made or not.... Unfortunately, its less clear than that with most consumables, due to all sorts of 'approved definitions and legal loopholes' etc (even with fruit and veg!)...

The choice we all make, everytime, determines the future we get to experience and perhaps even moreso, the future the next generation of the Aust. populace face....

I will always wish for less 'smoke and mirrors' in making my informed choice....I will always attempt to find out what is and support 'true' Aust made goods and services. Otherwise, confuse

sandsmere · Guru

The whole boils down to one thing . Money / wages .

To expensive to manufacture things in Aust. compared to other countries .

Sad , but that's the way it is . . . . . . I think it's been called progress ? ? ? ? ? ?

aussietraveller · Guru

A little surprised that we have not heard anything from the union or Mr Howes on this one I wonder if he is feeling a little guilty

Cloak · Guru

I had a peek on the USA Ford web site and if only they will bring in some of those E and F series I will be a customer.

We have an EF wagon and a Territory and are a little sad by the news.

Cheers

Plendo · Guru

You may be happy with the wagon that appears in 2015 Cloak, I believe it will be a wagon based on the Ranger platform code named T6. Similar in concept to teh Colorado 7 just on a smoother platform, and much better thought out in the interior.

I believe it wil be launched to replace the Territory in 2015

Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.