In this episode of DBrief, Louise McGrath speaks with Ash Salardini, CEO of Australian Sugar Manufacturers, about the role biofuels - particularly ethanol - could play in strengthening Australia’s fuel security as the conflict in Iran continues to disrupt global supply.

The conversation explores why ethanol is being raised again as a practical policy option, and how a national ethanol mandate could help cushion Australia against price shocks, supply disruptions and low fuel stock levels. Ash explains what has changed since earlier debates on ethanol, including vehicle compatibility, fuel standards and emissions performance, and why demand certainty is critical for attracting private investment.

Louise and Ash discuss how a national mandate could be designed to mirror successful energy policy frameworks, where existing government programs align with this agenda, and where gaps remain. The episode also examines certification and integrity under the Guarantee of Origin scheme, the realities of feedstock supply, concerns about food versus fuel, and how sugar‑based biofuels could support longer‑term sovereign capability, regional development and the decarbonisation of harder‑to‑abate sectors such as aviation.

Key takeaways

• A national ethanol mandate could simultaneously improve fuel availability, reduce price volatility and lift Australia’s fuel reserve coverage.
• Australia already has sufficient ethanol production capacity to meet an initial national mandate, with scope to scale significantly over time.
• Past concerns about vehicle compatibility and fuel quality no longer apply to the modern vehicle fleet or current fuel standards.
• Demand certainty - rather than supply‑side subsidies - is the key constraint holding back investment in biofuel expansion.
• Current fuel security responses focus overwhelmingly on oil‑based fuels, despite ethanol being immediately available domestically.
• A credible Guarantee of Origin scheme is essential to support market confidence, investment and export credibility for biofuels.
• Biofuel growth can complement food production, particularly through the use of existing biomass rather than competing feedstocks.
• Ethanol offers a near‑term, cost‑effective pathway to emissions reduction, with longer‑term potential for aviation and maritime fuels.

Contact the Industry Development & Policy team here. 

In this episode of DBrief, Louise McGrath and Jeff Wilson from the Australian Industry Group return to the conflict in Iran, as impacts move beyond fuel prices and deepen across industrial supply chains. 

They explain why businesses may be entering a new stage of the shock - shifting from monitoring risk to absorbing real costs, operational uncertainty and disruption. The discussion highlights how freight and insurance withdrawals, shipping diversions and emergency surcharges are becoming early pressure points, well before widespread product shortages emerge. 

Drawing on member intelligence, Louise and Jeff explore where risks are building across critical inputs including resins, plastics, packaging, nitrile gloves, construction materials and bitumen. They examine why Australia’s position at the end of long petrochemical supply chains matters, how force majeure notices are amplifying uncertainty, and why the effects of this crisis are likely to persist well beyond any near‑term resolution. 

Key takeaways 

• The impact of the Iran conflict is no longer limited to fuel prices, with freight, insurance and shipping disruptions now flowing through supply chains. 
• Critical inputs such as resins, packaging materials, nitrile gloves, PVC products and bitumen are emerging as key pressure points. 
• Force majeure notices and unclear delivery timelines are making investment, workforce and production planning more difficult for businesses. 
• Government responses are evolving, with fuel security measures, supply chain coordination and economic resilience tools being prepared if shortages worsen. 
• Businesses are moving beyond “wait and see”, actively assessing supply chain exposure, working with employees, and planning for reduced fuel and material availability.  

Further information and resources: 

• Experiencing fuel or supply disruptions? Report impacts on your business here. We would welcome any information you can provide. 
• Australian Industry Group is monitoring the evolving impacts of the conflict in the Middle East on Australia's fuel supply and broader supply chains. Read more. 

Contact the Industry Development & Policy team here. 

In this episode of DBrief, Louise McGrath and David Martin from the Australian Industry Group discuss the final report of the Strategic Examination of Research and Development in Australia and what it means for industry, innovation and productivity.

They explain why the review was commissioned, how Australia compares with its OECD peers, and what is at stake if current settings remain unchanged. The conversation explores what makes this review different from past efforts, including its whole‑of‑system approach, focus on execution, and recommendations to consolidate funding programs and sharpen national priorities.

Louise and David unpack the implications for CEOs, startups and SMEs, including proposed changes to the R&D tax incentive, efforts to reduce administrative burden, and the risks of shifting funding away from business‑led innovation. They also examine calls for stronger national coordination through a National Innovation Council, and the persistent challenge of translating world‑class research into commercial outcomes.

The episode highlights why long‑term policy certainty, better collaboration between industry and universities, and genuine reform - rather than more reviews - will matter for Australia’s future competitiveness.

Key takeaways

• Australia continues to lag comparable economies on business R&D and research translation.
• This review takes a holistic, system‑wide view and places heavy emphasis on execution.
• Consolidating programs aims to reduce complexity, but funding trade‑offs remain contentious.
• Changes to the R&D tax incentive could improve access, but raise concerns for some SMEs.
• Stronger national coordination is intended to provide clearer priorities and long‑term certainty.
• Productivity gains depend on translating research into products, services and jobs - not research alone.

Further information and resources:

Download the Australian Government’s Strategic Examination of Research and Development report here

Australian Industry Group’s submissions:

• Strategic Evaluation of R&D
• Strategic Examination of R&D: Response to Issues Papers 1-4
• Strategic Examination of R&D: Response to Issues Papers 5-6

Contact the Industry Development & Policy team here.

In this episode of DBrief, Louise McGrath and Jeff Wilson from the Australian Industry Group discuss how the conflict in Iran is disrupting liquid fuel supply, international freight, and critical industrial inputs across the Australian economy.
 
They unpack why Australia can have adequate national fuel stocks while regional communities still experience empty bowsers and caps at the pump. The conversation explores how refinery slowdowns in Asia, rising global fuel prices and periods of panic buying are exposing vulnerabilities in Australia’s heavily import‑dependent fuel system. Louise and Jeff also examine the emerging flow‑on effects for plastics, fertilisers, copper, electrical products, packaging and other essential materials that Australian manufacturers rely on.
 
With shipping costs surging, insurers withdrawing cover for Middle East–exposed cargo, and force majeure notices becoming more common, they consider how these pressures may hit construction, food and beverage, agriculture and export‑oriented industries in the months ahead. Even minor shortages in items like PVC pipe or vegetable oils risk cascading into larger delays at building sites, factories and farms.
 
Drawing on lessons from the pandemic, Louise and Jeff highlight the importance of national coordination, clear information flows, and deep visibility into supply chains - as well as the practical steps businesses can take now to prepare for further volatility. They also look at what role government can play in ensuring calm, consistent and well‑informed responses as this global shock continues to unfold.

Key takeaways

• Australia’s overall fuel availability remains stable, but regional shortages are appearing due to market structure, independent retailers and panic‑driven demand spikes.
• Asia’s refinery disruptions - stemming from reduced crude flows from the Gulf - are lifting fuel prices and tightening supply for Australia, which imports around 90% of refined liquid fuels.
• Higher diesel and petrol costs are already flowing into freight, domestic transport and grocery supply chains, adding to existing inflationary pressures.
• Air freight and shipping rates are rising sharply, with reported increases of 40–70%, along with rerouting delays, congestion and insurance withdrawals for cargo linked to the Middle East.
• Force majeure notices and production stoppages offshore are affecting plastics, PVC resin, fertilisers, electrical products, metals and other inputs - with the construction sector likely to feel the impact by May.
• Even small shortages in critical items can trigger broader delays across construction, agriculture, food manufacturing and export industries.
• Businesses should map their supply chains, maintain close communication with suppliers and customers, and explore alternative sourcing options.
• Government measures so far include adjusting fuel quality standards and supporting supply chain coordination, but longer‑term discussions about sovereign capability and national preparedness are likely to grow.

Further information and resources:

• For the latest available statistics on fuel stocks held in Australia under the Minimum Stockholding Obligation click here. 
• See the DCCEEW's factsheet on Australia's Fuel Security during the Middle East conflict click here.

Contact the Industry Development & Policy team here.

In this episode of DBrief, Louise McGrath speaks with the Australian Industry Group’s state heads, Tim Piper in Victoria and Estha van der Linden in South Australia, to explore what businesses on the ground are really facing as both states head into pivotal 2026 election campaigns.

The conversation highlights the pressure created by land tax increases in Victoria, payroll tax design issues in South Australia, and the growing weight of WorkSafe liabilities linked to mental health claims. It also examines the challenges of high evening electricity prices, severe skills shortages and the barriers that prevent smaller firms from taking on degree apprenticeships or accessing facilities to prototype new products. In Victoria, businesses are also concerned about rising gas prices, the risk that declining residential gas use will shift network costs onto industry, and the need for long‑term certainty so gas‑reliant manufacturers are not pushed out of the state.

Clear and consistent regulation across all levels of government is essential to reduce the time businesses spend managing overlapping compliance requirements and to allow companies to redirect resources toward productivity, investment and growth.

 Key takeaways

• Businesses want stable and predictable policy settings from state governments to reduce investment risk.
• Victorian companies are struggling with rapid land tax increases that are not aligned with their productivity or revenue.
• South Australian firms face a payroll tax bracket design that creates sharp marginal increases for small changes in payroll size.
• Mental health claims represent a small share of total claims but a large share of WorkSafe costs, which places pressure on employers.
• Victorian businesses are concerned that rising gas prices and shrinking residential gas use will shift network costs onto industry and threaten the viability of gas‑reliant manufacturers.
• South Australia’s renewable‑heavy grid creates high evening electricity prices that require better storage and firming solutions.
• Skills shortages affect businesses of all sizes, with some Victorian factories short hundreds of workers each day.
• Degree apprenticeships remain out of reach for many SMEs without adjustments to wage costs, university fees and FBT settings.
• SMEs need accessible facilities to prototype and test innovations without excessive financial risk.

Contact the Industry Development & Policy team here.

In this episode, Louise McGrath and Dr Jeffrey Wilson unpack Australian Industry Group's Australian Industry Outlook for 2026, revealing a landscape where businesses are juggling rising costs, mixed demand expectations, and rapidly evolving technologies. While the extreme uncertainty of recent years has eased, companies remain cautious as they face tighter margins, persistent skills shortages, and escalating compliance obligations.

The discussion explores how current pressures are reshaping business decision‑making - from “survival spending” on automation, AI and cyber security, to the difficult trade‑offs between short‑term cost control and long‑term productivity investment. It also examines the growing frustration with tax and regulatory complexity, and the need for more consistent rules across jurisdictions to support a more efficient national economy.

The conversation then turns to several expected and unexpected features of Australian Industry Group's 2026-27 pre-budget submission, including tackling the illicit tobacco trade, scrapping nuisance tariffs, designing a fair and enduring road-user charging system, and modernising the National Construction Code to boost housing supply and improve compliance clarity.

Key Takeaways

• Business expectations for 2026 are split, with similar numbers predicting weaker and stronger conditions.
• Cost pressures continue to rise, but passing those costs through to customers is becoming harder.
• Technology investment - especially automation, AI and cyber security - is one of the few spending areas still growing.
• Compliance and tax complexity remain major concerns, with businesses calling for simplified and more consistent systems.
• Illicit tobacco is costing Australia billions in lost revenue, with implications for public health, crime and the budget.
• Removing nuisance tariffs would reduce paperwork without affecting revenue or harming local industry.
• A national approach to road‑user charging is now essential as EV adoption accelerates.
• Modernising the National Construction Code could help ease Australia’s housing constraints and improve industry productivity.

Links: 

• Australian Industry Outlook for 2026 - 13th Annual Australian Industry Group Leaders Survey - Australian Industry Outlook for 2026
• Pre-Budget Submission: Federal Budget 2026-27 Pre-Budget Submission: Federal Budget 2026-27 | Australian Industry Group

Contact the Industry Development & Policy team here.

In this third Summer Series episode, we spotlight two century‑old Australian manufacturers - InfraBuild and Dux - who are using AI not as hype, but as a practical lever for safety, service coverage, and productivity.

• From Sharmy Francis, Innovation Manager at InfraBuild, we hear how automating product tagging on 24/7 rolling mills strengthened end‑to‑end traceability, removed ergonomic risks, and created new career pathways - upskilling seasoned operators into robotics and software-enabled roles.
• From Simon Terry, CEO at Dux, we hear how introducing an AI voice agent bridged hard-to-staff hours (5am–9pm across AU/NZ time zones), improved customer access to support 24/7, and relieved teams from the least desirable shifts - without job losses.

Across both stories, the human dimension looms large: open communication with staff, visible executive sponsorship, and responsible AI governance that accelerates adoption rather than slowing it. The call to action is clear: Australian industry cannot afford to sit this one out - go sooner, go harder, start small and safe, and let momentum compound.

Key Takeaways

• Start with a specific problem. Narrow scope (e.g. traceability tagging, 24/7 call coverage) beats broad ambitions. Deliver one outcome, then iterate.
• Safety + productivity can move together. Automating ergonomically risky tagging tasks improved both operator safety and 100% traceability.
• Guardrails tame risk. Domain “sandpits,” curated knowledge, human oversight of every call, and continuous training mitigated hallucinations and elevated quality.
• No jobs lost - better jobs created. AI absorbed unpopular hours and repetitive tasks; organisations invested in new roles (data scientists, data engineers, analysts, supply chain optimisation, robotics operators).
• Culture is the multiplier. Be transparent with teams, celebrate quick wins, and normalise “fail fast, learn fast”. Executive sponsorship and cross‑functional AI governance keep adoption safe and fast.
• Data compounds value. The first use case unlocks richer data, revealing adjacent optimisation opportunities across operations and service.
• Australia needs the tailwind. With rising input costs and a productivity gap, practical AI is a rare lever for competitiveness - industry must act now.

Read Australian Industry Group’s report Artificial Intelligence: Positive for companies, their people, and Australian Industry.

Note: This recording is from a live event and the audio quality may vary.

Contact the Industry Development & Policy team here.

Dive deeper into this topic by listening to our previous DBrief episodes Summer Series: 

• Getting Started: The AI Adoption Challenge for Industry
• Executing AI in complex settings

In this episode, we spotlight two industries where the stakes couldn’t be higher - healthcare and superannuation - and ask: how do organisations build trust, navigate regulation, and introduce AI responsibly in emotionally sensitive environments?

Our panel brings together three leaders implementing AI at scale:

• Greg Hill, Head of Data Strategy, Analytics and Insights, AustralianSuper, shares how an empathy‑led, consultation‑driven approach is helping uplift AI capability across investment, member, and enterprise teams — without overwhelming staff or compromising trust.
• Elizabeth Turner, Segment Director for Health & New Zealand, ISS Australia, reveals how her team tackled hospital food waste using computer vision, and why starting with the problem, not the technology, was the key to success.
• Rita Arrigo, National AI Centre, reflects on responsible AI, cultural fit when choosing vendors, and why visibility across AI projects can spark innovation and reduce duplicated effort.

From navigating regulated environments and cybersecurity, to building communities of practice and managing expectations around generative AI, this conversation explores the human, technical, and organisational dynamics needed to implement AI safely and meaningfully.

Key Takeaways

• Start with the problem, not the technology. Both organisations emphasised problem‑definition as the foundation for successful AI adoption.
• Empathy‑led change management works. Deep consultation, listening, and internal “consulting mindsets” help overcome fears and build genuine buy‑in.
• Responsible AI requires cultural fit. Choosing vendors aligned with organisational values is as important as technical capability.
• AI can strengthen (not replace!) human judgment. Communities of practice, executive education, and bottom‑up capability uplift ensure adoption sticks.
• Regulated environments can enable innovation. Standards like HL7 support safe data sharing while unlocking new clinical and operational insights.
• Integration is essential for long‑term impact. Interfaces, workflows, and data governance must evolve to embed AI into core operations.
• Cybers AI is no longer bundled into the “cyber risk” bucket. Instead, leaders now see that AI is critical for defending against the rising volume and sophistication of cyber‑attacks - providing detection, monitoring, and response capabilities that humans alone can’t match.

Read Australian Industry Group’s report Artificial Intelligence: Positive for companies, their people, and Australian Industry.

Note: This recording is from a live event and the audio quality may vary.

Contact the Industry Development & Policy team here.

Dive deeper into this topic by listening to our previous DBrief episode Summer Series: Getting Started - The AI Adoption Challenge for Industry.

In this episode, we explore one of the most pressing questions for Australian industry: why is AI adoption still so low, and what will it take to change that?

Our panel brings together three unique perspectives:

• Martin U. Ripple, Group Chief Executive, ANCA - a leader in CNC machines -shares how his company overcame internal resistance and is now pushing the boundaries with virtual employees and workflow innovation.
• Keith Ritchie, Head of Communications and Government Affairs, Siemens Australia and New Zealand, explains why digitalisation and AI are critical for productivity and decarbonisation - and how accessibility is transforming opportunities for SMEs.
• John O’Mahony, Partner, Deloitte Access Economics, unpacks new research on the barriers to adoption and the economic dividend Australia could unlock by accelerating AI uptake.

From practical steps like hackathons and data cleaning to big-picture policy ideas such as tax incentives, this conversation explores the cultural, technical, and strategic shifts needed to make AI a driver of competitiveness rather than a curiosity.

Takeaways

• Leadership and curiosity are essential to overcoming resistance and building confidence in AI.
• Data quality - not just structure - is a major barrier for SMEs looking to implement AI successfully.
• AI adoption is often driven by external suppliers and customer expectations, but long-term success requires clear business strategies.
• Digitalisation and AI together can unlock productivity, sustainability, and innovation across supply chains.
• Accessibility of industrial AI tools means SMEs have unprecedented opportunities to compete globally.
• Policy levers, like targeted tax incentives, could accelerate adoption and deliver significant economic gains.
• Ethical leadership and strong governance frameworks are critical for safe and effective AI implementation.

Read Australian Industry Group’s report Artificial Intelligence: Positive for companies, their people, and Australian Industry.

Note: This recording is from a live event and the audio quality may vary.

In this episode, Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox joins us to review Australia’s economic landscape in 2025. He reflects on a year marked by slow growth and persistent inflation, outlining why stronger government action is essential to reignite private sector confidence.

We explore the pressures of rising energy costs, the country’s transition to net zero, and the growing role of AI across Australian industry. Innes also examines how businesses are reshaping their workforce strategies, the evolving workplace relations environment, and the regulatory uncertainty influencing investment decisions.

It’s a big‑picture conversation about what’s holding the economy back - and what needs to shift for Australia to compete and innovate in 2026 and beyond.

Takeaways

• Inflation remains one of the economy’s most persistent pressures. 
• Strong, clear government action is needed to help restart private‑sector investment and growth. 
• Businesses need greater certainty to manage the transition to net zero effectively. 
• AI is increasingly seen by Australian companies as a tool that enhances - not replaces - jobs. 
• Post‑election workplace relations reforms are creating significant change and increasing compliance demands. 
• Skills and training systems must evolve quickly to keep pace with emerging technologies. 
• The national energy debate will remain central to economic and policy discussions. 
• A productive partnership between government and industry is essential to drive future prosperity. 

Here are the links mentioned in the podcast episode: 

• DBrief special episodes & election series: DBrief: Federal Election 2025 Special Episodes 
• Budget position: Federal Budget 2025–26—restart private sector engine 
• Election certainty: We need a clear election result 
• Global outlook: Global forecasts—fragile stability 
• Net zero targets & projections: DCCEEW Emissions Projections 2023; CEFC recapitalisation & 2035 target 
• AI case studies:  Artificial Intelligence: Positive for companies, their people, and Australian Industry
• Apprentices & employer barriers: Opinion: Employers behind apprentices; Job satisfaction outcomes 
• Wage Review decision: 3.75% increase—Australian Industry Group statement 
• Productivity & wages linkage: Productivity uplifts needed