CUSTODIAN

NEWS
www.northsba.com.au
WWW.WSBA.COM.AU
Innovation front and centre of campaign
ELECTION 2016
By Michael Walls
NSBA Editor
Dr Mal Eutick with Trent Zimmerman and Julie Bishop.
MEMBER for North Sydney
Trent Zimmerman has put
the Federal Government’s
“Ideas Boom” at the centre
of his re-election bid, bringing
the popular Minister for Foreign
Affairs Julie Bishop out on a campaign
blitz across his electorate.
Mr Zimmerman and Ms Bishop
met with local business leaders,
selling the Turnbull Government’s
agenda on innovation, science,
skills and trade, touring the Phebra
pharmaceuticals manufacturing
plant at Lane Cove West.
Phebra is a specialty pharmaceutical
company which develops,
manufactures and markets critical
medicines in Australia, New
Zealand, Asia, Canada and parts
of Europe.
“The reason why I wanted to
bring Julie Bishop to Phebra, is that
it is a great success story for Australia
and also for the local part of the
world,” Mr Zimmerman said.
“Lane Cove West is one of
those hidden areas of the exciting
developments happening in the
medical sector and Phebra is a
company manufacturing pharmaceuticals
in Australia, which is a
great achievement in itself, but, it’s
one of those parts of the medical
innovation sector that the Government
is seeking to promote
through, our innovation strategy.”
Minister Bishop said the
Government wanted to ensure
that “Australian companies
can take part in moving supply
chains and parts manufacturing
and export trade deals to
make it easier for Australian
companies to sell their goods
and services, particularly into
Asia, and this company is the
exemplar to what we are supporting.”
“It’s about using the latest
technologies and the latest innovative
thinking, so that ‘Made
in Australia’, ‘Produced in Australia’,
is synonymous with high quality,”
she said.
“In the area of pharmaceuticals
and medicines, this company
(Phebra) is leading the way, and
we should be so very proud of it,
so that’s what we are seeking to do
as a Coalition, grow the economy,
particularly in some of these niche
and specialist areas, and create more
high quality jobs for the Australian
people.
“Phebra is one that will benefit
from having a highly educated and
skilled workforce, specifically with
trade deals, with China, Japan and
South Korea. These trade deals are
designed to make our companies
competitive with others around the
world and of course in pharmaceuticals
and medicines there are many
developed countries competing
with Australia.
“To have the products manufactured,
made, designed and created
here are what we are seeking to
achieve, Made in Australia, Produced
in Australia or Grown in
Australia; that’s what we are seeking
to achieve and that’s how we grow
our economy.”
Phebra CEO, Dr Mal Eutick,
said as an Australian-owned company,
Phebra was taking a keen interest
in the Government’s trade agenda
and what it means for the capacity
to tap into export markets while still
preserving its intellectual property.
“Australia has a lot of potential
in the sciences and advanced
manufactured and I am pleased to
see the Government is committed
to addressing the need for developing
a skilled workforce to meet these
new challenges,” Dr Eutick said.
Dr Eutick thanked Mr Zimmerman
for securing the Minister’s visit
to Phebra and Lane Cove Mayor,
Clr. Deborah Hutchens who also
took part in the official tour of the
manufacturing plant.
NORTHERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS JUNE 2016
5