The Australian Fashion Council (AFC) and R.M.Williams have officially launched the National Manufacturing Strategy for Australian Fashion and Textiles this week at Parliament House in Canberra.
It is the first coordinated national roadmap to rebuild targeted domestic manufacturing capability across Australia's textile, clothing and footwear (TCF) sector.
The ten-year strategy – between now and 2036 – is the result of almost a year of industry consultation led by the AFC and R.M.Williams, including 14 national consultations with manufacturers, brands, educators and policymakers across the country. More than 300 stakeholders contributed to the process, generating over 1,000 proposed initiatives and nearly 900 votes on strategic priorities to shape the sector’s long-term manufacturing future.
The strategy was unveiled at a breakfast symposium and AFC member showcase in Mural Hall attended by over 90 industry and parliamentary guests, including members of the Parliamentary Friends of Australian Fashion & Textiles, and its co-chairs and Federal MPs Matt Burnell, Dai Le and Zoe McKenzie.
According to the AFC and R.M.Williams, this strategy comes at a critical time for the industry, with 97 per cent of Australia's clothing and textile products being manufactured offshore, leaving the industry vulnerable to ongoing global supply disruptions and trade volatility.
“This Strategy sets out a clear roadmap for rebuilding a globally competitive Australian fashion and textile manufacturing sector,” AFC executive chair Marianne Perkovic said.
“Australia already has exceptional design talent, advanced manufacturing capability and globally recognised brands. With the right coordination across industry, skills and procurement policy, we have a real opportunity to strengthen sovereign capability, create skilled jobs and position Australia as a leader in premium manufacturing.”
Rather than compete against high-volume offshore manufacturing markets, the AFC and R.M.Williams believe the strategy will close structural gaps and accelerate advanced manufacturing to scale the sector’s comparative advantage, aiming to position Australia to compete globally in premium, technology-enabled and traceable production, built on the country’s natural fibre strengths.
The strategy targets three key outcomes, including capturing more value from Australian fibre – such as cotton and wool – strengthening sovereign manufacturing capability and building a globally competitive premium sector.
This is underpinned by three strategic pillars: activating and driving demand, securing the workforce and pushing advanced manufacturing.
The first will involve growing public procurement, rolling out Australian made identification and promoting locally made products.
The second involves enabling skills transfer in an industry where the median worker age is 57, as well as protecting women’s majority contribution and supporting diverse communities.
The third involves co-investing in modern machinery and new technologies, as well as rebuilding early-stage fibre processing and yarn spinning, and enabling innovation in circular and fibre-to-fibre recycling.
Independent modelling by RMIT University shows that a full implementation of the strategy's coordinated policy platform will grow TCF manufacturing value-added from $2.6 billion to $2.9 billion by 2030/31, delivering a cumulative $1.4 billion economic dividend over five years.
The strategy is also projected to create more than 1,000 new skilled jobs and $864 million in additional wages, with approximately half of those jobs are projected to be filled by women.
At present, TCF manufacturing already employs more than 27,000 Australians - 58 per cent women (compared to an average 28 per cent in other manufacturing industries) and 41 per cent from culturally and linguistically diverse communities – and pays over $1.4 billion in wages annually.
The AFC and R.M.Williams claim that strengthening this base will increase the competitiveness of Australia’s $28 billion fashion and textile industry, which employs nearly 500,000 Australians across the broader value chain.
R.M.Williams chief operating officer Tara Moses said the bootmaker has manufactured in Adelaide for more than 90 years.
“We employ skilled craftspeople, invest in apprentices and continue to modernise production while competing globally,” Moses said. “What's needed now is to activate a flywheel: demand enables investment in skills, skills enable advanced manufacturing, and technology allows Australian manufacturers to scale while maintaining quality."
AFC general manager Samantha Delgos added that Australia is the world's largest exporter of greasy wool and a globally significant cotton producer. These are both key parts of the strategy’s focus points.
However, she pointed out that Australia exports raw fibre and imports finished goods at multiples of the original value.
“Re-establishing fibre processing and spinning capability restores the missing link in our value chain,” Delgos said. “Building the next generation of capability to capture this value – capability that is advanced, technology-enabled and circular – will also require stronger demand signals.
“Strategic public procurement can help anchor that demand and support the growth of Australia’s domestic manufacturing capability.”
From here, there are two next steps in the lead up to 2029. The first phase will assess progress in establishing the core architecture underpinning the strategy, while the second phase, from 2029, will assess the progress against the strategy’s long-term ambition. This means a competitive, technology-enabled and domestically anchored manufacturing sector with a sustainable workforce and globally recognised market position.
"This strategy is a serious economic blueprint for communities, supporting skilled jobs, strengthening regional manufacturing, and creating clearer pathways for women into trades and long-term manufacturing careers,” MP Matt Burnell said. “It presents a coordinated, cross-portfolio agenda that connects procurement, skills and industry capability.
“As co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends group, I'm committed to supporting the sector to turn this plan into long-term coordinated action."
The strategy’s launch at Parliament House this week followed more than a year of planning and industry consultation. The showcase featured brands and manufacturers such as R.M.Williams, Bianca Spender, Bond-Eye Australia, Clothing the Gaps, ABMT, Sylvia P, Waverley Mills, Silver Fleece and Stewart & Heaton.
The AFC and R.M.Williams also produced a short film titled ‘Made Here, Worn Everywhere’ profiling AFC members including Australian Defence Apparel, The Social Outfit, Maara Collective, Citizen Wolf, Waverley Mills and Silver Fleece highlighting the diversity of manufacturing already taking place across Australia.