Investment NSW pulls NSW stand from Avalon Airshow 2027

“Investment NSW regularly reviews its participation in major trade shows and industry events to ensure its activities continue to respond to industry needs and opportunities,” according to the statement announced on November 2.

“Our defence industry trade show support in 2027 will focus on the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition, to be held at the International Convention Centre in Sydney from 2 - 4 November.

“An Expression of Interest for NSW businesses interested in exhibiting at Indo Pacific 2027 will be issued early next year.

“The NSW Government remains committed to supporting the growth and competitiveness of the state's defence and aerospace industries, recognising the important contribution they make to NSW's economic, industrial and technological development, as well as Australia's sovereign capability and national resilience.

“This commitment is reflected in the government’s strategic priorities, with defence and aerospace identified as a focus sector under the NSW Trade and Investment Strategy and as an important contributor to the Local Manufacturing mission under the NSW Industry Policy.

“Investment NSW will continue to engage closely with industry to understand emerging opportunities and challenges and identify opportunities to support NSW defence and aerospace businesses to grow, build connections and access new markets.”

VIEW ALL

The statement could be a sign of increasing financial pressure on the NSW defence sector, with Nowra firearms and suppressor manufacturer Shawmac Industries Australia confirming significant production holds, suppressor permit rejections and businesses entering 'survival mode' earlier this week.

“The sad reality is that the Labor government does not want Australian manufacturing industries and has created an environment where once stable and profitable businesses can no longer exist,” they said in a public statement.

“At this point in time, we will await the outcome of the next State Government election in 2027 and review our position at that time, however, for now; there is no business sense in providing a service that cannot be sustained.

“There have not been any legislative changes for silencers in NSW, what we are seeing is the outcome of administrative changes without any discussion or consultation with industry. These changes are made by public servants and there is clearly an agenda to reject permit holders.

“The reality is simple, this government does not care about your business, your ability to earn an income, your industry reputation, capacity, safety or anything else. There is only one solution here and that rests with the next NSW and Federal government elections. Between now and then it is a game of survival for us all.”

Robert Dougherty

Author

Robert is a senior journalist who has previously worked for Seven West Media in Western Australia, as well as Fairfax Media and Australian Community Media in New South Wales. He has produced national headlines, photography and videography of emergency services, business, community, defence and government news across Australia. Robert graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Majoring in Public Relations and Journalism at Curtin University, attended student exchange program with Fudan University and holds Tier 1 General Advice certification for Kaplan Professional. Reach out via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via LinkedIn.

Know More