A University of Western Sydney student has used her experience touring Singaporean businesses to prepare a report for western Sydney councils.
St Marys resident Marayam Noori, 20, has prepared a report with other students assessing how greater western Sydney can sustain and improve its manufacturing.
On February26 Ms Noori presented the report at Parramatta to delegates from Blacktown, Campbelltown and Bankstown councils.
Ms Noori, who is in the final year of a business and commerce degree and also studying law, spent two weeks in Singapore as part of the New Colombo Plan, which is now in full roll-out across Australia, as announced last month by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop at UWS Kingswood.
Ms Noori said if Singapore, with such a small population, can sustain a successful manufacturing base, then Australia could learn to do the same despite declines in traditional manufacturing industries.
‘‘Singapore is much like Sydney,’’ she said.
‘‘There’s so much to learn and while we can’t compete with their centralised location in terms of roads, infrastructure and public transport, Singapore is so efficient and on time.’’
Ms Noori identified two key areas in which western Sydney could learn from Singapore — building a regional manufacturing brand and developing a regional manufacturing master plan.
‘‘Think of Germany with its brand of precision and high-class manufacturing.
‘‘In Singapore they didn’t see us as having a manufacturing brand, they saw us as a recreation brand.’’
In Singapore Ms Noori addressed the board of the Singapore Manufacturing Federation, which has more than 3000 members, and other manufacturing firms and companies.
She said a group of councils or a similar organising body would help western Sydney do long-term market research so business could prepare for the market’s demands ahead of time.
‘‘We need to have a heavy investment in research and development.
‘‘Their manufacturing federation is very organised and they have experts in the field.’’
Ms Noori, who wants to work in the legal and business sphere, said western Sydney has potential because the required tools, resources, technologies and labour force are already available. She said learning overseas was a great eye-opener and encouraged others to do the same while studying.
‘‘It’s the best way to learn. You get so much out of it because it’s engaging and fun at the same time.’’