The Andrews Labor Government is backing leading companies to boost production in Melbourne’s outer north, creating high-skilled local jobs in advanced manufacturing and driving investment in our suburbs.

Major companies expanding their operations include aerospace composites maker Quickstep Holdings, pillows and quilts manufacturer John Cotton Australia and dairy producer Picnic Dairy Foods.

With support from the Labor Government, these projects and many others are providing a combined investment of $19 million – creating more than 580 new local jobs in the key manufacturing hubs of Tullamarine, Campbellfield, Broadmeadows, Thomastown and Preston.

John Cotton is establishing a new production line at its Campbellfield facility, increasing capacity to 800,000 additional units each year and creating almost 30 new jobs.

Coolaroo-based Picnic Dairy Foods is scaling up production of its yogurt, cheese, drinks and spreads, creating 20 new jobs – while Quickstep Holdings Limited is expanding its maintenance, repair and overhaul operations at Tullamarine, creating 67 new jobs.

With 3,700 manufacturers calling Melbourne’s outer north home, manufacturing is the area’s largest industry – supporting more than 43,000 jobs in automotive, food processing and chemicals sectors.

The area is one of Australia’s fastest growing and culturally diverse communities, with more than 30 per cent of the population born overseas and over 10 per cent speaking a language other than English at home.

Victoria’s manufacturing industry is worth around $30 billion to the state’s economy each year, creating more than 27 per cent to the nation’s manufacturing output.

The Labor Government is helping the state’s advanced manufacturers to grow, innovate and stimulate job creation through initiatives such as the $2 billion Breakthrough Victoria Fund and the $40 million Victorian Industry Investment Fund delivered through the Victorian Budget 2022/23.