Funding to boost plastic recycling

The Morrison Government has invested $20 million as part of round 8 of the Cooperative Research Centres Project (CRC-Ps) to help businesses reduce their plastic waste, boost recycling initiatives and build a sustainable environment through job creating projects.

Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP said these projects are driving Australia’s waste-recycling industry forward.

“There are nine projects in this round which will see Australia reduce its plastic waste and boost plastic recycling,” Mr Vasta said.

“By working with the waste and recycling industries, we believe the CRC-P grants will help foster innovative ideas that will help boost and strengthen our environment and economy.

“We have seen $289 million committed to CRC-Ps since 2016 as part of the Morrison Government’s commitment to strengthening Australian industry and create 1.25 million jobs in the next five years.”

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews MP said the projects showed the great economic opportunities in waste recycling.

“Not only are these new projects ensuring Australia’s environmentally sustainable future, they are also creating further opportunities for new jobs,” Minister Andrews said.

“This funding will support Australian businesses and researches as they forge new markets to limit the use of plastics and create recycled products.”

Applications for Round 9 of the CRC-P grants open February 13. For more information visit www.business.gov.au/crc-p

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TINGALPA BUSINESS RECEIVES $1 MILLION TO COMMERCIALISE X60 TRUCK

Australian Government funding will benefit a Tingalpa business to develop and commercialise their state-of-the-art mine haulage truck.

Loadpro Australia is one of six Australian businesses sharing in $3.2 million worth of the Australian Government’s Accelerating Commercialisation grants.

Loadpro has been offered $1 million to assist in completing the final design of their X60 Truck, commercialising the X60, achieving domestic sales and laying the foundation for global sales yielding national benefits through job creation and export revenue.

Loadpro founder and Managing Director Ron Schliebs said development of the X60 Truck will fill a product gap for off-highway trucks in the mining and construction industries, in particular for extended hauls that other off-highway and articulated trucks are not suited for.

“The project will lead to a commercial production run to meet expected advance orders for the X60 in Australia and Indonesia from companies with which Loadpro has already established a relationship,” Mr Schliebs said.

“Features [of the X60] include high payload with low tare/gross weight, with less fuel burn. Future development for military/defence applications is also envisaged.”

Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta said Accelerating Commercialisation grants support businesses on the pathway to commercialisation.

“Businesses around the country are putting their hands up to work with the Australian Government on developing their ideas, and taking their products to domestic and international markets,” Mr Vasta said.

“The support to Loadpro will encourage other local businesses to think outside the box, and come up with ways to improve their business.

“I strongly encourage all businesses in Bonner to partner with the government to enhance their success, both locally and globally.”

For more information about how to apply for an Entrepreneurs’ Programme Accelerating Commercialisation grant, visit www.business.gov.au/ep.

More information on the grant recipients is available at www.business.gov.au/ac-funding-offers.

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LYTTON MANUFACTURER RECEIVES FEDERAL GRANT FOR CUTTING-EDGE PRECISION ROBOTIC SYSTEM

Lytton company Advanced Robotic Technology (ART) is one of the successful recipients of a grant provided under the Accelerating Commercialisation element of the Australian Government’s Entrepreneurs’ Programme, Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta said today.

ART has developed an advanced robotic structural steel processing system that has the potential to help Australian firms better compete with cheap imported fabricators through lower costs, quicker turnaround and superior accuracy.

Director of ART David White said the grant funding would enable the company to transition from R&D to a production product.

“This grant will help us cover the costs of building and installing a prototype system here at our Brisbane facility,” Mr White said.

“It will also help us complete and transport a display model they we can use for real-world demonstrations in Australia and overseas. This will help us generate leads with companies that are crying out for this kind of product, because we’ll be able to actively demonstrate the efficiency of this system in an industry neutral environment.”

Mr Vasta, who today visited ART with Minister for Jobs and Innovation, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, said it was great to see a local company receiving government support to develop and build world-class technology.

“This is a world-leading product that will boost productivity and allow workers to move up to higher-skilled jobs,” Mr Vasta said.

Minister Cash said she was pleased to be visiting ART to see how the Government’s funding will assist them to take their ideas to the market.

“The Entrepreneurs’ Programme supports businesses to develop and commercialise ideas that will improve business capability and competitiveness, promote economic growth and create jobs,” Minister Cash said.

Mr White said the government’s support had been invaluable for ART to develop the technology.

“Without the R&D Tax Incentive Scheme, it would not have been viable for us to invest the necessary funds that have been required to develop this level of technology. It’s been pivotal to help us recoup costs, which has in turn encouraged further development,” Mr White said.

“The assistance available through schemes like the Entrepreneurs’ Programme and the R&D Tax Incentive provides a high level of confidence that the Government is backing Australian innovation.”

More information on Accelerating Commercialisation: https://www.business.gov.au/assistance/entrepreneurs-programme/accelerating-commercialisation

More information on the R&D Tax Incentive: https://www.business.gov.au/assistance/research-and-development-tax-incentive

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COMPANY TAX CUTS TO PROVIDE MORE APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Federal Assistant Minister for Vocational Education and Skills, the Hon Karen Andrews, says the Turnbull Government’s tax cuts for small and medium businesses will provide more opportunities for young people to take up an apprenticeship.

Minister Andrews joined Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta, to visit local company Corona Cabinets that already employs 17 apprentices servicing the construction sector.

“Apprentices have been a key part of Corona Cabinets success since the company started in 2002 with just four employees,’ Minister Andrews said.

“It’s now grown to over 70 staff and is a great example of how investing in apprentices can bring long term benefits for a business and I congratulate the owner of Corona Cabinet on the company’s success.

“The tax cuts being introduced by the Coalition will provide more opportunity for the companies like Corona Cabinets to invest and grow, with the potential for even more local apprenticeships,” Minister Andrews said.

Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta, said Corona Cabinets is one of nearly 16 thousand businesses in the electorate to benefit from the Turnbull Government’s tax cuts.

“It means thousands of local companies will have greater capacity to invest in their business and that can only lead to more local jobs,” Mr Vasta said.

“The tax cuts have been widely welcomed throughout the electorate not just by business owners but from people who understand the positive impact they’ll have on the local economy.”

Tim McDonald from Corona Cabinets said apprentices have made a great contribution to the company.

“A company like ours can only grow with a skilled workforce and our apprenticeship program has been central to achieving that,” Mr McDonald said.

“The company tax cuts will enable us to look at further investing in the business to continue servicing the construction industry with the potential to take on even more apprentices.”

Minister Andrews said apprenticeships are a valued pathway to a well-paying job and career.

“Many business owners in the trade sector started out as apprentices who’ve gone on to forge a successful career.

“Australia needs to build its skilled workforce to continue our economic growth and I encourage people looking to enter the workforce to consider taking up an apprenticeship,” Minister Andrews said.

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