Car market blooms

Business Asia, August 30, 1999

The automotive market in Victoria continues to blossom, with major corporations such as Toyota, General Motors and Ford expanding their presence.

General Motors has put on an additional 200 engineers at its Fishermens Bend plant in Victoria after winning the rights to design the next generation of Opel cars to be built in Asia.

And Toyota Australia recently consolidated vehicle production at its new A$420 million plant at Altona.

The Victorian government has flagged the General Motors decision as another example of an international company using Melbourne to fast-track its Asia projects.

"Global companies now look at new places to do their work," said Industry Minister Mark Birrell. "And that will often mean Asian companies look to do their work in this part of the region, or it will mean American companies looking to do their work for Asia in (Victoria)."

In other automotive news, Victoria's world-class industry took another step forward with the recent opening of a major technology program at Ford's Geelong plant.

Birrell said the Iron (Fe) and Aluminium Solidification Technology (FAST) initiative -- a collaboration between Ford Australia, Deakin University and the University of Queensland -- would establish a centre of excellence in metal-casting technology.

The program will include research into critical areas of the casting process and develop world-best practice in the production of cast components.