By CASEY NEILL
“A GERM of an idea around a dinner table” grew into a traffic-stopping showcase of Dandenong’s manufacturing strength.
Calls to create an annual event were being bandied around just hours into Dandenong on Wheels, held in Dandenong Civic Square last Friday 17 April.
Organiser and Committee for Dandenong member Jill Walsh said it shone a spotlight on vehicles – just in time for the May State Budget – but the next event could focus on food.
Dandenong on Wheels realised a dream Ms Walsh shared 12 years ago with South East Business Networks (SEBN) manager Sandra George.
A train, a tram, a bus, trucks, vans, tractors, caravans and more towered over and surrounded proud workers, students and other visitors.
“The tram moved in at 2.30am. It took an hour and a half to turn the corner,” Ms Walsh said.
“But we did it.”
Some manufacturers told their stories in videos on the big screen, while others demonstrated innovations on the ground.
The whole event came together in six weeks with help from City of Greater Dandenong and South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance (SEMMA).
“We’ve had to turn people away, and they’re looking forward to next year,” Ms Walsh said.
“We want to do it in Manufacturing Week, the last week in May.”
Mayor Sean O’Reilly said there was no better way to show what was made in Dandenong.
Greater Dandenong business group manager Paul Kearsley said it was rallying against popular opinion that manufacturing was dead.
“We’ve got investment, workers all here proving the opposite,” he said.
“(Volgren) export that bus to Japan. People are blown away by that.”
Mr Kearsley said the day also highlighted career paths.
“Manufacturing’s not about dirty overalls and hard labouring,” he said.
“It’s a specialised skill set.”
He said the event was also about calling for new contracts to build trams and trains.
Dandenong’s Bombardier this month warned that jobs were on the line unless the State Government ordered more trams.
It’s halfway through a 50-tram contract but needs a work order for more by November to secure supplier contracts and its 430-strong team.
A spokesman for Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan refused to commit to an order but said next month’s budget would include a Rolling Stock Strategy to “give certainty to manufacturers”.
