Ms TIERNEY (Western Victoria)– I rise this evening to raise an issue relating to local manufacturing and procurement. It is an issue for the minister responsible for procurement and the Minister for Manufacturing. The matter I raise relates to a notification that we have received recently about Transdev Melbourne being the successful tenderer for Melbourne bus routes. There are very strong rumours in the industry that letting the tender to Transdev will result in Veolia Transdev having buses built in and sourced from Malaysia.
That is raising a number of concerns in the bus manufacturing industry in this state, in particular at Volgren, a company in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne. It has been a very successful company for many years, and prior to entering Parliament I had some association with that company.
The people at Volgren are particularly concerned that there will be a huge impact on the company, there will be consequential job losses at Volgren and there will be substantial impacts on the component suppliers that provide the componentry for the buses they make on site at Volgren.
I seek from both ministers their support for local manufacturing in respect of the example I have given tonight, and I seek their assurances that the letting of the tender for the Melbourne bus routes will not result in buses being sourced from overseas at the expense of local manufacturers in the south-east of this state.
The ACTING PRESIDENT (Mr Elasmar) — Order! To which minister was Ms Tierney’s request directed? It can be directed to only one minister.
Ms TIERNEY — I am happy for it to be the Minister for Manufacturing.
