The New South Wales Government has called on local manufacturers to help fulfil the medical supply demand of personal protective equipment.
The State Government has launched a portal for NSW businesses to apply to help manufacture and replenish the shortage of hand sanitiser, handwash soap, gloves, cleaning products, protective clothing, masks, eyewear and paper products.
The move comes as the government expects the high demand for these products to be sustained for at least 12 months.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said that the government would help manufacturers re-tool in order to produce the PPE.
"This is a call to arms for NSW manufacturers to look at ways to convert production lines into making the items we so desperately need.
"We have the ability within NSW to meet our local demand and the government is moving to help manufacturers re-tool quickly to achieve this.
"Importantly, providing this opportunity to manufacturers will also allow some businesses to keep people in jobs when they may not have been able to do so."
Australian fashion businesses such as Ford Millinery, Nobody and Scanlan Theodore have already shifted their manufacturing to produce PPE.
NSW Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said that this is an opportunity for businesses to diversify.
"This is an opportunity for businesses to not only diversify their supply but produce incredibly important products for our state in a time of need.
"We will work to find solutions to provide our hospitals and our people with the protection they need, while keeping as many workers as possible in a job," he said.
NSW businesses can register their interest here.