Toyota is pulling the pin in Australia too. 2017.

[MarkGU]

yet another car maker heading off shore ....now its Toyota in 2017.

[Bird]

http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=20458.msg560733#msg560733

[Beatle]

So the last Australian mass-produced car will be a Toyota.....

[MarkGU]

http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=20458.msg560733#msg560733

yes Lost i realize it is a thread in the news section,but, i felt like so many have differing opinions on the subject i reckon it deserves is own thread.

cheers.

[chookduck]

There is a reason why Thailand and other SE Asian countries are now some of the largest car manufacturers (not designers) in the world - labour cost is very low and they operate within the ASEAN Free Trade area.

The Thailand automotive industry is the largest in Southeast Asia and the 9th largest in the World in 2012 with an output of near 1.5 million vehicles compared with Australia at around 200,000.  Most of the vehicles built in Thailand are developed and licensed by foreign producers, and include Daihatsu, Ford, GM, Honda, Isuzu, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota and Volvo.  It is not surprising then that the auto manufacturing industry in Australia is coming to an end, not necessarily due to a bad product, just realistic global market forces.

What I don't like though is when companies move manufacturing off-shore to reap cheaper labour prices and political deals, but the cost to the purchaser remains the same or increases.  Yeah yeah I know what would one expect!

[Symon]

Manufacturing needs cheap labour, cheap energy, and cheap transport.

Australia has none of those hence the reason why manufacturing is going offshore.  We are even struggling to maintain supply of cheap resources, next time there is a global downturn we won't fare so well.

[evolution]

Let's hope due to the end of manufacturing of cars here in oz the government will remove the tarrifs and LCT on cars as there is no local sector to protect. I can't see it happening but who knows.

Cheers
Evo

[dazzler]

Opportunity of a life time here.

The Govt should take over the lease of the manufacturing plants and pay Ford, Holden and Toyota 1c for every $1000 they paid them each year in support for all the machinery.  Then, put a team from CSIRO and other experts in electric vehicles and build solely electric vehicles for the world.  Put the money they would have spent on support into developing new technologies.  The world is desperate for zero emission vehicles.


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[GeoffA]

The auto industry, and many others in Australia, grew as a means of getting around import tariffs.

Remove the tariffs, and guess what happens.......

[evolution]

Could you explain a bit more Geoff? 

Cheers
Evo

[Paul (SA)]

You get that on the big jobs.

[Blue Bravo]

The total manufacturing of cars in Australia started after the second world war when the Gov of the time realised that the country was entirely isolated and needed to be self sufficient in all areas. They used tariffs to protect the local industry from external competition. As the tariffs were reduced so our industry became subject to overseas competition as the politicians said we should compete on a level playing field. Only problem is that every other country with a car industry subsides or protects that industry. Thailand sends us utes from every maker but put a tariff on vehicles made in Australia. The end of local manufacturing puts us back in a position we were in before the second world war. We cannot produce anything and if supply from overseas is blocked we are cactus. Once again the lessons of history are ignored by the economists.

[Marcus73]

Could you explain a bit more Geoff? 

Cheers
Evo

Drop the Tarriffs imports become cheaper and therefore more appealing.
Raise the Tarriffs and locally built becomes more appealing.
Unfortunately the likes of VW, Audi, Mercedes etc are of a far better build quality than Holden or Ford ( no offence to owners of either )and if you make them closer in price people will spend that bit extra to get the quality. If you make them leagues apart all of a sudden people will sacrifice a bit of quality for the $'s saved. That being said if the manufacturers want to sell their vehicles here but know their customers will have to pay high Tarriffs, it's more incentive to build them here. I know that then it all starts to become a numbers game but that's another story


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[evolution]

Drop the Tarriffs imports become cheaper and therefore more appealing.
Raise the Tarriffs and locally built becomes more appealing.
Unfortunately the likes of VW, Audi, Mercedes etc are of a far better build quality than Holden or Ford ( no offence to owners of either )and if you make them closer in price people will spend that bit extra to get the quality. If you make them leagues apart all of a sudden people will sacrifice a bit of quality for the $'s saved. That being said if the manufacturers want to sell their vehicles here but know their customers will have to pay high Tarriffs, it's more incentive to build them here. I know that then it all starts to become a numbers game but that's another story


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That's what I figured. So if there is no manufacturing here, what are the tarrifs protecting. I'm all for supporting Aussie made where I can, but as I can't stop holden, ford, Toyota from ceasing manufacturing here, then I would hope that the tarrifs which turn a $35000 BMW into a $50000 BMW are lifted.
I can't see these taxes going though, why would they it makes the government money. And after all cars are ported then that's even more money.

Cheers
Evo

[Marcus73]

That's what I figured. So if there is no manufacturing here, what are the tarrifs protecting. I'm all for supporting Aussie made where I can, but as I can't stop holden, ford, Toyota from ceasing manufacturing here, then I would hope that the tarrifs which turn a $35000 BMW into a $50000 BMW are lifted.
I can't see these taxes going though, why would they it makes the government money. And after all cars are ported then that's even more money.

Cheers
Evo

Yep that's a tough one. If they hadn't dropped them "maybe" things may have been different now. On the flip side if they drop them even further now there will be no chance of any manufacturers ever setting up shop here ever again


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[Hairs]

Manufacturing needs cheap labour, cheap energy, and cheap transport.

Australia has none of those hence the reason why manufacturing is going offshore.  We are even struggling to maintain supply of cheap resources, next time there is a global downturn we won't fare so well.

Couldn't agree more mate.

[Watty2975]

I wonder what impact the inability of our unions to negotiate has had on the final result. It would seem dumbfounding that when ever these stories came up in the media the first comment from unions was how other options other than wages and conditions needed to be addressed. Seemingly at the expense of wanting to maintain an industry. Don't get me wrong working conditions etc need to be a consideration but how long can predominately unskilled labour continue to expect pay rises above highly skilled work.

On the other hand what have our governments done other than pour money into these companies with no assurances.

Hopefully there is plenty of support for the workers and their families who have lost their jobs here from Ford, Holden & Toyota.

[Black Diamond]

Another one bites the dust  this country is struggling in a big way. I feel for all the families involved, not just for Toyota employees. This is going to have a large and devastating rippling effect.
Transport companies and logistics, parts, tyre industry, oils and consumables, textile industry, electrical, automotive glass, beancounters, automotive paint industry. Engineers, mech component manufacture to name a few. Very sad.

Just like Bridgestone and South Pacific tyres (Dunlop/Goodyear) did several years ago and packed it up in Australia and many others. Massive job loss.

So who's next? Sadly it's only a matter of time. So who's to blame? Maybe the unions for driving up the price of labour, but the labourer has to make money as well to pay his mortgage, support his family since we seem to pay a premium in this country for everything. It's a vicious cycle. I dunno maybe someone smarter than me can nail it but when you have a country that pumps oil and gas yet still Australians still get shafted at the bowsers something is really off in this country and it stinks 

Maybe a lot of bad decisions were made a long time ago by previous governments.

BD

[alnjan]

The joys of a Global Market Place, long way short of a Global Economy. 

[rotare]

 Although it's never good hearing people are going to lose their jobs, most of us have faced redundancy at least once in our working lives. I just wish when I was made redundant I had been given 3 years notice (instead of 5 minutes), the opportunity to be re-skilled or educated for my next career (paid for or heavily subsidised by the company of course), an outsourcing company to help me find a new job, and finally a very healthy and above award redundancy package, instead of the bare bones minimum award entitlements us mortals generally receive.

[Beatle]

There is never a good time to make a major change.  But if we hadn't moved away from a closed market/tarriffs, we'd still be watching B&W TVs that cost $1000 each

[Hairs]

And so the BS starts,
The unions & labor blaming the government for the closure.
The sad part about this is, the sheep will believe it.
Everything turns into a political foot ball.
oh btw, did you hear a druggo in Bali has been freed???

[Bird]

Is this bloke for real
"BETTER DAYS AHEAD FOR CAR WORKERS"
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/better-days-ahead-for-car-workers-after-toyota-closure-tony-abbott/story-fn59niix-1226823373375

[D4D]

There are 3 constants in life, death, taxes and change. I am afraid we're in a state of change where we didn't invest in the future and we're now reaping what we didn't sow. What made AU successful 50 years ago won't make us successful for the next 50 years. Our 'unskilled' labour market has become 'too' skilled and is being beaten by countries such as Thailand. We can't compete with them so we need to change. You've already seen Boeing take some of the highly skilled 'unskilled' market to make Dreamliner parts in Fishermans Bend. This is the type of thinking and market that we need to go after, not the commodity car business.

[dazzler]

Is this also a symptom of growth. Economies keep growing and the people get wealthier and the poorer step up. I saw a video once about growth and how it is unsustainable.


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