SME manufacturers are facing rising costs, tax pressures and policy challenges. SEMMA calls for industry support and national focus through its 2026 election forum series.
By Honi Walker chief executive officer South-East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance.
It seems that at every turn, local small and medium enterprise (SME) manufacturers and our supply chain are being asked to pay more tax, navigate endless rolls of red tape and battle for what’s fair in a global marketplace.
It doesn’t matter what you produce, the result is the same – less after-tax profit, less for investment, less for hiring that new apprentice or recent graduate, less for research & development (R&D), less for growth and innovation, less inspiration. As small businesses know all too well – unless your product is the latest innovation, taste sensation or hot topic – it won’t get the attention it deserves, unless you’re one of the big boys on the “winners list”.
Australia’s economy has flatlined. According to the ABS in 2024, Victoria had the highest number of businesses going bust – 129,000. Additionally, according to the Victorian Parliamentary Budget Office, Victoria is also the most taxed state in all of Australia at $5,408 per person in 2025-26.
Australia is grappling with our diminishing petroleum supplies. We hope our farmers will be assured access to enough diesel to run their farms, but it’s the supply chain that, once again, will get stung. Our food and beverage process manufacturers and those that make the packaging and deliver it will still pay top-dollar for raw materials and for diesel. The flow on to food packaging will be felt by all of us at the checkout.
While South-East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance (SEMMA) might be based in the southeast of Melbourne, we have an eye on the national economy and our place in it. Nationally, manufacturing is the sixth largest industry, generating $137 billion in value-added output employing 930,000 people. It contributes 12.4 per cent to Australia’s exports and 7.9 per cent to capital expenditure (AI Group 2024).
SEMMA will present our Australian Manufacturing BLUEPRINT 2026 Election Forum Series. Five forums each focused on one of our five pillars of growth to invigorate industry. The first pillar is ECONOMIC and will feature the financial sector, industry experts, and those from the political sphere, followed by an interactive panel. It’s an opportunity for manufacturers from all sectors – food and beverage especially – to come together to discuss, debate and dissect current policy and offer solutions through our BLUEPRINT platform.
Manufacturers make our economy. It is time to recognise and acknowledge the contribution our manufacturing sector makes to the Australian way of life.
If you’d like to have your say, join us. Become a SEMMA member and we’ll keep raising the profile and voice of SME manufacturing in Australia.
