Breaking News: Holden to cease manufacturing in Australia in 2017

[Bossxr8]

I would not be surprised if Chevrolet took over from Holden, and we started to see a lot more US made Chevs here.

It would put a lot of Chev badge sellers out of business, bringing on an even bigger recession. Maybe they could switch to selling Holden badges for bogans to put on their Chevs.

[MethodX]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

I would not be surprised if Chevrolet took over from Holden, and we started to see a lot more US made Chevs here.

It would put a lot of Chev badge sellers out of business, bringing on an even bigger recession. Maybe they could switch to selling Holden badges for bogans to put on their Chevs.

Good thought, Maybe Ford fans can put Lincoln, Mercury or Troller badges on their cars.

[PepeLePew]

Rico to be clear that wasn't aimed at anyone in particular.

Charliewool relevant political comment is welcome from a policy perspective, but without turning posts into how to vote cards or blame games, and keeping the comment relevant to the topic. Otherwise the content we are supposed to be discussing as a automotive forum tends to get lost.

[Rico 110s]

Originally Posted by PepeLePew

Rico to be clear that wasn't aimed at anyone in particular.

Charliewool relevant political comment is welcome from a policy perspective, but without turning posts into how to vote cards or blame games, and keeping the comment relevant to the topic. Otherwise the content we are supposed to be discussing as a automotive forum tends to get lost.

Thanks Pepe

I do see where you are coming from.

Maybe a thread should be started asking for a vote on who wants local industry to continue or not?

Once this is determined we can go from there...

[UberKnee]

I still chuckle at how many people are convinced that the demise of an already on life support car manufacturing in this country will kill the entire country and put us into a recession. It wont, if car manufacturing was that important to the Aussie economy it would have keeled over long ago not after we stop making the 3 cars a week we currently make in this country.

[Blinxnot]

Terrible news for the workers and their families at GMH.
There was mention of how this could also impact on Toyota Australia.
I am still trying to adjust to Fords decision to close Australian manufacturing.

[fte50]

Originally Posted by UberKnee

I still chuckle at how many people are convinced that the demise of an already on life support car manufacturing in this country will kill the entire country and put us into a recession.

Chuckle all you like, but many Aussie's understand the value of manufacturing and the benefits it brings, therefore take comfort in the thought knowing Australia has a manufacturing presence and is not solely reliant on some gigantic hole in the ground out west, who sell our unprocessed minerals for sweet ef all to nations that process them and resell for many times more.

Recession or Kill the country ??? Maybe not. But it sure aint no national win or something we can be proud of.

[mik]

Originally Posted by DanielXR8

Lets see. He doesn't support ongoing commitments from the previous government. It might be hard to believe, but multinationals don't care about Abbott's grand standing. They actually want consistent ongoing policy that has bilateral agreement between the two parties. Something that allows them to make clear, concrete long term plans - essential given the lead time in the auto sector. Before Tony they got that - with him they don't. Now Australia is a third world basket case, when it comes to foreign investment, because apparently no matter what the agreement, its all up for grabs when our Tony is after votes and gets elected.

His front bench is half full of morons who are ideologically driven to destroy the bogan car industry as they see it. When Holden didn't conveniently roll over for them, they leak stories to the press to destabilise the position of Holden and cause many who work at Holden sleepless nights - and over Christmas too. Nice one. Abbot does nothing except criticise Holden when they come out and say nothing is decided.

Chris Pine fresh from screwing up the Gonski funding - which the Liberals were also not going to support, after saying they would, then puts his two bobs worth in about Holden to help destabilise things. Thats two major screw ups by this minister in as many weeks. Abbott should sack him or at least demote him - he does nothing instead.

Holden after saying they needed a decision before Christmas are told to put a sock in it and they can wait until March 2014 for the government to get yet another report about nothing in particular that they didn't already know. Holden says we need answers, but shuts up anyway and continues negotiations in private. Liberal front benchers meanwhile leak everything like a siv and then Abbott comes out today and says Holden needs to make up its mind.

Holden and Toyota in their submissions to government say they need fair trade agreements to be actually fair and enforced. Abbot does absolutely nothing about this and instead announces his plans to implement yet another free trade agreement with South Korea - a major competitor to Toyota and destroying any last viability of Cruze production for Holden.

Is that enough for you?

As for the "rest of us poor sods". I don't give a stuff about you either, but I do care about your children and mine and theirs. We are digging up their future inheritance and selling it for cents in the dollar, while destroying their industry and future. Perhaps we better start thinking beyond ourselves.

this has been a long time coming, and dear old labor did nothing in the last 6 years to stop us heading to the point we are now......... in fact it was dear old labor that gave our motor industry the kiss of death decades ago and continued on year after year putting nail after nail in the motor industry coffin much like the textile industry and the steel industry,
by no means am I saying libs don't deserve a good *** whipping for the economic place our industry find itself in, they are also guilty,
but if we really want to get picky further down the blame track we can also look at other decisions taken by dear old labor that have signed us up to idealistic united nations treaty's that have purposely killed off 30% of our manufacturing without any consent from the voters, or the other greeny policies that further hold manufacturing to pie in the sky pollution targets that will do almost zero for pollution impact while putting the price of energy up to further disadvantage Australian manufacturing.

it wouldn't matter if ford and holden even if they made their cars gold plated, they really don't stand a chance against the flood of importers, the fact is with so many cars coming into the country........... the pie will be sliced up thinner and thinner every year, and importers can transport their cars here from over seas and still make a killing,
yet our home built cars suffer from diminishing numbers and higher manufacturing cost,
we should have the home advantage but it is clear, every manufacture that has tried to mass produce cars here has either gone bust or left for greener pastures or currently is losing money.

[Dr Smith]

Originally Posted by mr smith

Ford, Qantas, Holden, Shell, Alcoa etc. + all on the periphery will equal high unemployment.
I don't know what economy you live in but around my way shops are shutting and factories have "for lease" out front. There is money floating around but once manufacturing is gone, eventually there will be nothing propping up the base.

I have 7 factories near my workplace all for lease/sale, (40 factories in whole street) only one closed and moved to larger premises, all manufactured something.....

[ryeman]

Originally Posted by MethodX

They can import opels, they are quite good.
And give us the next Gen Camaro to take on the Mustang.

The Astra, at least, was not exactly economical to keep on the road. Spares were BM prices. Belt driven cam shafts with short life span, soft rotors etc.
You'd have to be a real fan.

[UberKnee]

Originally Posted by fte50

Chuckle all you like, but many Aussie's understand the value of manufacturing and the benefits it brings, therefore take comfort in the thought knowing Australia has a manufacturing presence and is not solely reliant on some gigantic hole in the ground out west, who sell our unprocessed minerals for sweet ef all to nations that process them and resell for many times more.

Recession or Kill the country ??? Maybe not. But it sure aint no national win or something we can be proud of.

Im not saying its not a shame that Aussie manufacturing is coming to end but it wont destroy the country and force us all to live in cardboard boxes, that's just ridiculous doomsaying. As evidenced by the fact Holden and hemoraging money and even Toyota dont make a profit on local built-local sold cars Aussie manufacturing just isn't injecting that much money into the economy.

[ryeman]

^^^^so keeping breadwinners who keep families afloat and off the dole, not to mention the psychological harm, is just about the 'bottom line'.
I guess if your not in that boat the decision is easy.
Americans subsidise their auto industry to the tune of $260 US PER PERSON France $150 Canada $100
Our $18 is minuscule in comparison.
But we are ideologically pure, so I guess that's ok!

[Spammy]

Originally Posted by ryeman

^^^^so keeping breadwinners who keep families afloat and off the dole, not to mention the psychological harm, is just about the 'bottom line'.
I guess if your not in that boat the decision is easy.
Americans subsidise their auto industry to the tune of $260 US PER PERSON France $150 Canada $100
Our $18 is minuscule in comparison.
But we are ideologically pure, so I guess that's ok!

Macro econiomic reform and the impact on industries that have reached thier use by date is never easy. But you can't keep tipping money into a black hole that manufactures, sells and employs less every year.

Should the govt have kept the AWA factory open and subsidised some poor bloke to solder togther a black and white rotary dial TV in a teak wooden cabinent?

[ryeman]

^^^its so easy when it's not your family or the nations manufacturing capacity.
So we specialise in funds management and investment advise as if Indians won't be able to do that. That's called paper shuffling.
We will end up simply a hole in the ground if that is all we truly value.
Foreign countries would be amazed at our preparedness to experiment with our society all in the name of rational economics......funny how that won't apply to emissions policy, apparently the govt knows better than the market place.
Where is the market driven consistency?

[Bill M]

Originally Posted by fte50

Chuckle all you like, but many Aussie's understand the value of manufacturing and the benefits it brings, therefore take comfort in the thought knowing Australia has a manufacturing presence and is not solely reliant on some gigantic hole in the ground out west, who sell our unprocessed minerals for sweet ef all to nations that process them and resell for many times more.

Recession or Kill the country ??? Maybe not. But it sure aint no national win or something we can be proud of.

"National win"
Given the level of "debate" in this forum I don't think too many will understand the importance of that. 10/10 for perseverance!

[Spammy]

Indians may or may not be able to establish a robust funds management industry at some point in the future but unitil they do, its a very lucrative area for Australia. However, cheaper /better asian producers have already left us for dead in manufacturing...why would investment capital flow to a sector in Australia that is loss making and will remain so?

Remind me again how many mum and dad aussies actually buy aussie cars every year?

[Gadgetman]

Originally Posted by mr smith

2016 recession, guaranteed.........

Why???? Are auto manufacturers the pillars that hold the Australian economy together?? Come on man. Drop in the ocean pal.

[UberKnee]

Originally Posted by ryeman

^^^^so keeping breadwinners who keep families afloat and off the dole, not to mention the psychological harm, is just about the 'bottom line'.
I guess if your not in that boat the decision is easy.
Americans subsidise their auto industry to the tune of $260 US PER PERSON France $150 Canada $100
Our $18 is minuscule in comparison.
But we are ideologically pure, so I guess that's ok!

People lose their jobs all the time, its not the end of the world. Despite some media spin there's plenty of work out there.

The difference with American, Canadian, French manufacturing is they already have a large home market to sell too and all sell globally as well. We're a tiny corner of the world in the middle of nowhere, with little export. And even when we do export ala the VE/VF it doesn't do much good anyway. It doesn't make sense to keep an industry a float that is barely surviving as it is just for the sake of it.

[cheap]

No big surprise.

I was once told that every US company operating in Australia will eventually export the USA's unemployment issues to Australia's

GM can now add themselves to the list...

I would be nice to think that a Aussie billionaire (or two), might be inclined to buy the entire factory for dirt cheap, restructure its operations and convert it into "true locally made"

[mik]

[QUOTE=cheap;4956612]No big surprise.

I was once told that every US company operating in Australia will eventually export the USA's unemployment issues to Australia's

GM can now add themselves to the list...

I would be nice to think that a Aussie billionaire (or two), might be inclined to buy the entire factory for dirt cheap, restructure its operations and convert it into "true locally made"[/QUOTE]

Yes it would be nice, but no business man with nouse would open up a cool aid stand next to a lemonade factory, it's a nice sentiment though.

[mr smith]

Originally Posted by Gadgetman

Why???? Are auto manufacturers the pillars that hold the Australian economy together?? Come on man. Drop in the ocean pal.

Not just Auto companies that have signalled 2016 as a key year.
Do some research.

[Bill M]

Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane has challenged the ABC to reveal which of his colleagues have claimed Holden is quitting Australia.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-0...vealed/5139844

[Bill M]

Originally Posted by UberKnee

People lose their jobs all the time, its not the end of the world. Despite some media spin there's plenty of work out there.

The difference with American, Canadian, French manufacturing is they already have a large home market to sell too and all sell globally as well. We're a tiny corner of the world in the middle of nowhere, with little export. And even when we do export ala the VE/VF it doesn't do much good anyway. It doesn't make sense to keep an industry a float that is barely surviving as it is just for the sake of it.

Plenty of work where?

[b0son]

Originally Posted by cheap

I would be nice to think that a Aussie billionaire (or two), might be inclined to buy the entire factory for dirt cheap, restructure its operations and convert it into "true locally made"

They'd probably only do it if they could guarantee a non-union shop.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by cheap

No big surprise.
I would be nice to think that a Aussie billionaire (or two), might be inclined to buy the entire factory for dirt cheap, restructure its operations and convert it into "true locally made"

Anyone insane enough to do that wouldn't be a Billionaire for long....

The simple fact is this, there is no vehicle you could produce here in sufficient quantity and sell at enough profit to justify doing it.

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Anyone insane enough to do that wouldn't be a Billionaire for long....

The simple fact is this, there is no vehicle you could produce here in sufficient quantity and sell at enough profit to justify doing it.

Would make more sense for someone of that wealth and passion to torpedo all those ships carting Korean and Chinese trash vehicles destined for Australia into the sea where they belong

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

Would make more sense for someone of that wealth and passion to torpedo all those ships carting Korean and Chinese trash vehicles destined for Australia into the sea where they belong

Or for the Koreans to torpedo all of our coal and iron ore exports to them, guaranteed the trade balance favors Australia.

Multinational corporates set up business here to make money, if they can't do they then they move on...
Jobs sustainability is staying with products people want to buy as well as having exportable goods,
the Australia car industry has neither of those elements and is fast becoming a sheltered workshop without direction.
We cannot keep demanding the lowest priced vehicles possible and then expect governments to continue subsidizing expensive vehicles.
People's jobs and livelihoods should be much more than this but I fear it's now the way News Ltd is spinning it...

[UberKnee]

Originally Posted by Bill M

Plenty of work where?

The building industry is taking off again, there's still work in the mining sector (not as much as there once was). Works still out there, it just wont fall into your lap.

[Sprint]

Originally Posted by UberKnee

People lose their jobs all the time, its not the end of the world. Despite some media spin there's plenty of work out there.

You sound so Cool with it , But there was a time you could have job safety and maybe a job for life if you work hard and do the right thing, a place that even your family can depend on and your son's and farthers , farther even get jobs.

I personally think those days were much better to bring up families or buy houses. Soon we will have to be forced to work for the Indians or Chinese at slave labor.

[UberKnee]

Its just a fact of life, people lose their jobs everyday, but they go out and find more work. Thats how the world has been since, well since we created the concept of jobs.