By YASEMIN TALAT
TULLAMARINE textile exporter Textor Technologies has secured a $3 million grant from the Federal Government to help slash its carbon emissions intensity and break into new markets.
The Rudd Labor Government grant, which is part of the Clean Technology Investment Program, will help upgrade a production line at Textor’s textile manufacturing facility in Tullamarine.
The company, which makes specialist health and hygiene fabrics, will use the grant for a $9.1 million project to upgrade its Hydro-Entanglement Line to manufacture a new product which has potential to increase its export market.
Minister for Innovation Senator Kim Carr and Labor Member for Calwell, Maria Vamvakinou announced the grant last week.
They said the project was expected to reduce the carbon emissions intensity of the line by nearly 60 per cent.
“Federal Labor is co-investing with Textor because they are a company that thinks big,” Mr Carr said.
“Currently Textor exports about 50 per cent of their products throughout Asia, by working with the Government to install this new equipment, there is potential to expand this market even further.”
Ms Vamvakinou said Textor was an important local employer who employed approximately 50 locals including two PhD students.
“These jobs and the local skills they have fostered are incredibly important to our local economy,” Ms Vamvakinou said.
“Textor has stayed competitive by working with Government, multinationals, and researchers to develop new, quality products that consumers want, and making them cost-effective, while reducing their emissions,” she said.
“This is exactly the kind of investment the Rudd Labor Government supports – one that is good for jobs, good for the environment, and good for the bottom line.”
Senator Carr said Federal Labor’s Clean Technology Investment Programs have helped achieve real change.
There have been over 580 grants, supported by over $300 million in government funding approved to date, which totalled new project investment of almost $1 billion in clean technology around Australia.
