The ten-year strategy is the result of almost a year of industry consultation led by the AFC and R.M.Williams, including 14 national consultations with manufacturers, brands, educators and policymakers across the country. More than 300 stakeholders contributed to the process, generating over 1,000 proposed initiatives and nearly 900 votes on strategic priorities to shape the sector’s long-term manufacturing future.
The Australian Fashion Council and R.M.Williams have launched the National Manufacturing Strategy for Australian Fashion and Textiles 2026–2036, a ten-year roadmap to rebuild Australia’s textile, clothing and footwear manufacturing.
Developed through national industry consultations, it aims to strengthen domestic capability, advanced manufacturing and fibre value chains.
The strategy comes at a critical time for the industry. With 97 per cent of Australia’s clothing and textile products manufactured offshore, the sector remains vulnerable to ongoing global supply disruptions and trade volatility. Rather than compete against high-volume offshore manufacturing markets, the strategy is focussed on closing structural gaps and accelerating advanced manufacturing to scale the sector’s comparative advantage, aiming to position Australia to compete globally in premium, technology-enabled and traceable production, built on the country’s natural fibre strengths, AFC said in a press release.
Independent modelling by RMIT University and RPS projects that full implementation of the Strategy’s co-ordinated policy platform will grow TCF manufacturing value added from $2.6 billion to $2.9 billion by 2030/31, delivering a cumulative $1.4 billion economic dividend over five years. The Strategy is also projected to create more than 1,000 new skilled jobs and $864 million in additional wages, with approximately half of those jobs are projected to be filled by women.
“This Strategy sets out a clear roadmap for rebuilding a globally competitive Australian fashion and textile manufacturing sector. Australia already has exceptional design talent, advanced manufacturing capability and globally recognised brands. With the right coordination across industry, skills and procurement policy, we have a real opportunity to strengthen sovereign capability, create skilled jobs and position Australia as a leader in premium manufacturing,” said Marianne Perkovic, executive chair, Australian Fashion Council.
“Australia is the world’s largest exporter of greasy wool and a globally significant cotton producer. Yet we export raw fibre and import finished goods at multiples of the original value. Re-establishing fibre processing and spinning capability restores the missing link in our value chain,” Samantha Delgos, general manager, Australian Fashion Council said.
“R.M.Williams has manufactured in Adelaide for more than 90 years. We employ skilled craftspeople, invest in apprentices and continue to modernise production while competing globally. What’s needed now is to activate a flywheel: demand enables investment in skills, skills enable advanced manufacturing, and technology allows Australian manufacturers to scale while maintaining quality,” Tara Moses, chief operating officer, R.M.Williams.
The strategy will be led by the Australian Fashion Council and its progress will be evaluated through a two-stage assessment framework.
The first stage, the Implementation Review (to 2029), will assess progress in establishing the key foundations of the strategy, including procurement reform, national capability mapping, skills recognition pilots, shared manufacturing infrastructure, and governance arrangements to co-ordinate delivery. The second stage, the Strategic Outcomes Review (to 2036), will evaluate long-term progress toward the strategy’s goal of building a competitive, technology-enabled, and domestically anchored manufacturing sector supported by a sustainable workforce pipeline and a globally recognised market position.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)
