Automakers Moving Out of Australia

Kane Butterfield says that he began working with Holden at the age of 19. For starters, this is a car manufacturing company that is located in southern Australia. The city has become what it is today by making distinctly Australian cars. However, Kane Butterfield is a sad man as the car maker closed its doors yesterday. This means that the company that had provided many Australians with employment opportunities was shutting down. After 17 years of operation, the closure of the Adelaide auto plant means that Australia will have to depend on imported cars. Kane and his fellow workers will have to look for employment opportunities elsewhere. Mr. Butterfield who is 37 years at the moment says that it’s a shame that they have let go off what he referred to as one of the best cars in the world. He was addressing reporters yesterday. This was the last functioning car factory in the country. Some Australians say that there have been car factories in Australia for as long there have been cars in the country. However, the Friday closure of the Elizabeth plant which was located in the suburbs left people with more questions than answers. Some Australians questioned why the government didn’t save the last automaker in the country.

Australians still argue that car manufacturers elsewhere receive government bailouts mentioning the United States as an example. This has been the trend in Australia where auto plants have been shut down. All major car producers have closed their plants including General Motors, Holden which is the latest, Toyota and Ford. Various reasons have been floated as to why these automakers have resulted to closing their plants in the country. At first, the automakers stated the high Australian Dollar as the reason. Others said it was the high production cost while some have said that the shrinking domestic market is to blame. According to Australian union officials, close to 30,000 people have lost their jobs in the country. Adelaide is one of the most affected areas in the country. Being a region that has always struggled with unemployment, the region greatly suffered when Holden decided to close their plant in the region. Close to 1,000 lost their jobs. Leading politicians in Australia have expressed their concerns with some promising that they will do something about the issue. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull addressed the issue saying that the people who lost their jobs had found employment elsewhere.