Busy production lines as industry booms

$2b injected into Victorian economy

VICTORIA'S booming caravan industry contributed more than $2 billion to the state’s economy last year, it has been revealed.

It also employed 6600 workers in caravan manufacturing, retail, repair and servicing, according to the figures released by the Caravan Industry Association of Victoria.

The peak body for the State's caravan industry said 1450 new jobs had been created in the six years from 2011.

Chief executive Rob Lucas (pictured right) said there had been a 28 percent increase in jobs over six years, bringing the 2017 total to 6587.

"Manufacturing accounts for 4123 of these jobs, in sharp contrast with the decline in other sectors such as the car industry," he said.

"Overall, we have achieved average annual jobs growth of more than 4.6 percent for six years, well ahead of overall state and national employment figures.

"Our total contribution to the state’s economy has grown by 50 percent, from $1.4 billion in 2011 to $2.1 billion in 2017.

"This amazing growth is due partly to increasing production ... and partly to the increasingly luxurious, premium priced 'vans favoured by Australians."

Mr Lucas said the industry comprised more than 1000 individual enterprises with an annual payroll of $330 million and a total value-add of $680 million.

Caravans were helping to sustain Victoria's tradition as the manufacturing heartland of Australia, with 90 percent of all Australian-made recreational vehicles built in the state.

"Our industry's growth is being driven by the Victorian Caravan and Camping Industry Blueprint which we created in 2012, he added.

Despite the impressive growth, Mr Lucas said there was still much to be done by the association to raise the industry’s overall business standards.

"The key to success is to deliver quality and value to our customers, and we have many initiatives underway to help achieve this, especially in training," he said.

"Our National Caravan Industry Training College has been gaining traction steadily since it started in 2015, and we have exciting plans to build first class new training facilities.

“"We are proud to be one of Australia's top job creators, especially for manufacturing jobs, and our training and development plans will bring even more growth."

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