Australian cabinet makers employ thousands of workers — apprentices, factory staff, installers, designers and trades. We pay Australian wages, superannuation and workers compensation. We follow Australian standards and invest in local communities.
Imported cabinetry manufactured offshore enters Australia with little to no tariff burden. A full kitchen with stone benchtops and two pack finish is landing here for $40,000. The local manufacturer cannot buy the materials for that price.
This is not a fair market. It is an uneven one.
We are asking the Australian Government to:
 1. Introduce a fair import levy on manufactured cabinetry, joinery and flat-pack products entering Australia
 2. Re-establish cabinetmaking as a formally licensed trade requiring recognised qualifications
 3. Mandate country of origin labelling on all cabinetry and joinery products sold in Australia
 4. Introduce a local industry preference clause on all government-funded construction and housing projects
 5. Require imported cabinetry to meet Australian safety and material standards before being sold or installed
 6. Establish an apprenticeship incentive program specific to the joinery and cabinetmaking trade
 7. Create a Buy Australian Joinery procurement policy for social housing, schools and government buildings
 8. Conduct a full parliamentary inquiry into the impact of imported cabinetry on Australian manufacturing employment
 9. Introduce anti-dumping provisions specifically covering manufactured joinery and flat-pack cabinetry
 10. Fund a national skills audit of the cabinetmaking and joinery workforce to address the growing skills shortage
Australian manufacturing is not asking for a handout. We are asking for a fair fight.
If nothing changes, the industry that builds Australian homes will no longer be Australian.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​