Australian Made: How Much Do You Value It?

Embaloo on 10/01/2020 - 22:13
Last edited 10/01/2020 - 22:14

How much do you seek out Aussie-made food/gifts/other items?

What sort of things do you guys prioritise being Australian-made, and what proportion of your purchases do you think is Aus made?

E.g. I buy out my local fruit&veg for their Australian dried beans, since ALL the tins in ALL supermarkets these days are from overseas.

Some things at the top of my priority list and why:
* baby clothes for friends' kids (fewer non-aus-standard chemicals, I've heard)
* fresh greens and fruit (water-borne disease risk and bio-security awareness)
* garlic (cos my uncle says the imported ones have little-to no enzymatic & bacterial health benefits)
* tinned tomatoes (cos family talk about Italian slave labour)

I think I quickly swipe past many ozbargain deals simply because of the "cheap import" bias.

But I never check my own clothes, stationary, tools, devices…

It's a struggle paying premiums with the cost of living in AUS, but it's on my heart more-so with things like "buy from the bush" and considering the future of our country and the abandoning of manufacturing here.

I'm interested to know what you guys, particularly bargainers, value.

General Discussion

Comments

  • Numlock on 10/01/2020 - 22:25
    +1

    I try and buy local produce, food, holidays etc.

    When it comes to clothes, forget it. Made in India and Pakistan and if I must, China. Australian made clothing is just way too expensive.

    • Embaloo on 10/01/2020 - 22:35

      yeah okay.

      • capslock janitor on 31/01/2021 - 16:47

        did u know covid was comin

        • Embaloo on 01/02/2021 - 07:14

          I've learned to expect anything in life.!!

    • Embaloo on 11/01/2020 - 08:52
      +1

      Just realised that op-shop clothes, are technically Product* of Australia!

      One workaround if you are an op-shopper! Be it inconvenient for sizing etc.

      *-s once worn and now passed on by a person in the country-

    • Shiny Mew on 12/01/2020 - 20:16

      Australian-made clothes can be had very cheap if people bother to look. Why not support Certton and Qualitops?

      • Numlock on 12/01/2020 - 22:46
        -1

        bcuz i wanna look fab.

  • elgrande on 10/01/2020 - 22:33
    +2

    tinned tomatoes

    Cos they get stomped on in bare feet

  • Davo1111 on 10/01/2020 - 22:47
    +7

    honestly, it does not play a part in my decision making process.

    • Embaloo on 11/01/2020 - 09:00

      Ya cool ok

  • [Deactivated] on 10/01/2020 - 22:49
    +5

    Beef. We make excellent beef.

    • SBOB on 11/01/2020 - 08:07
      +1

      Where are you seeing imported beef as an alternative to that choice?

      • [Deactivated] on 11/01/2020 - 08:37
        +1

        That's a good point.

        Looks like I have no choice but to eat the good stuff.

  • payton on 10/01/2020 - 23:12
    +3

    I think I quickly swipe past many ozbargain deals simply because of the "cheap import" bias.
    It's a struggle paying premiums with the cost of living in AUS

    Making your life considerably more difficult due to some perceived moral obligations you feel you must follow, is the path to the dark side.
    Just look at Ozbargain's resident militant vegan, his mind is too far gone and his children will be indoctrinated the same way.

    • Embaloo on 11/01/2020 - 08:56
      +1

      Haha I love this! I suppose it's not a moral "must", rather a desire to as I have tried manufacturing and producing and selling here myself (be it small-scale as a kid haha), and know a snipped of what it's like. Self-motivated, and I see the economic logic. I'm sure many are the same.

  • HighAndDry on 10/01/2020 - 23:45
    +2

    considering the future of our country and the abandoning of manufacturing here.

    If it makes you feel any better, the number of people doing what you're doing for your reasons are not remotely enough to save Australian industry. All you're doing is prolonging the necessary industrial skills pivot and retraining.

    • Embaloo on 11/01/2020 - 00:04
      +2

      Thanks for consolation thoughts, I disagree to some degree though - our primary industries that are Australian owned and run have improving Agri tech, and are within themselves using updated methods that are constantly under research. I have agronomist friends who are hopeful about it. As am I.
      I don't think supporting those who are still in play is in any way discouraging ISP - if you do, pls explain more?

      I do agree in that rather than a return to primarily unskilled or skilled primary industry, I hope to see us using the mid-level tech we have (as well as our reputation for high health standards in processing/primary) to get the ball rolling, and to use our land, sun and coastlines well. I don't think it's wise to jump on the sinking ship ute for Australian production

    • [Deactivated] on 11/01/2020 - 06:07
      +1

      necessary industrial skills pivot and retraining? Sounds like the wisdom of an unnecessary public servant

      • HighAndDry on 11/01/2020 - 09:07

        I'll dumb it down for you. Cost of living here means three minimum cost of labour is too high to support a low-skill manufacturing industry. People in these industries will need to retrain, sooner or later.

        • [Deactivated] on 11/01/2020 - 11:15
          +1

          Choosing cheap rarely works out well. Whether it’s cheap imported cladding, or cheap exported recycling there are consequences for choosing cheap.

          I’ll dumb it down even more. Good, Fast, Cheap. Pick two

  • Trying2SaveABuck on 11/01/2020 - 00:04
    +4

    If i see made in Germany, Italy, Australia, Japan on a product i would likely pay more for it over products that are made in India, China, Bangladesh etc

    But generally speaking >80% of things i own are made in China….

    • tonyjzx on 02/02/2021 - 05:36
      +1

      Yeah but you have to be realistic about what you buy from these countries and China.

      I have stuff from Germany Italy Japan UK and US… they are all luxury items or high tech electronics. Even then I know for a fact that in some of these countries they hire Chinese transplants their govt. is Ok with it… ie. some company in Germany hires Chinese citizens to work in Germany on a visa to make German designed and plated goods so they can charge a premium… and Merkel is ok with this!

      And then it comes down to there's nothing under $1,000 AUD effectively that ISNT made in China.

      China and those poor countries supplies everything else I buy day to day that I'm not eating.

      I'm not buying luxury goods every day am I…

      I'm ok with Chinese manufacture because there realisitcally isnt any other choice.

      Further in a past life I used to be a mechanic. When we took apart cars I would say on avg. 50% of the car is made in china, even the Germans.

  • mousie on 11/01/2020 - 00:49

    Our Prime Minister can't even enjoy an Australian made holiday…

    • whooah1979 on 11/01/2020 - 08:15

      There is too much smoke here.

  • bobbified on 11/01/2020 - 02:59
    +3

    I don't seem to come across many Australian-made items anymore.

    • alvian on 11/01/2020 - 04:37
      +4

      My avatar is wearing Australian made.

      • Embaloo on 11/01/2020 - 08:49

        Lol

  • Bourb on 11/01/2020 - 04:17
    +3

    I will normally seek out Australian or NZ products when it comes to food, but everything else is normally based on Brand Name rather than country of manufacture.

  • BugsBunnyAUS on 11/01/2020 - 06:18
    +2

    Fresh produce I will almost certainly not purchase if not Australian. Frozen produce, I'll happily by Kiwi made. Otherwise I'll pass and go without. Dairy the same, Australian or NZ, elsewhere if it's a speciality cheese for example. Honey I only buy local.

    Funny you mention garlic as that is one of the things I will not buy if imported. Tinned tomatoes I happily buy Italian as to me, they are the best (certain brands).

    Everything else, I just buy whatever.

    • lainey13 on 13/01/2020 - 22:31

      A lot of products marked made in NZ are actually made with raw components from other countries. NZ has lax standards when it comes to labeling and are happy to pass off Chinese berries etc as NZ made to be sold in Australia. Be very wary of anything marked from NZ in terms of food especially frozen goods.

  • askme69 on 11/01/2020 - 06:31
    +2

    I go out of my way to buy WESTERN made products and Japan, South Korea, India over CHINESE.

    PS: TAIWAN ans HONG KONG need to get onboard as well.

  • apsilon on 11/01/2020 - 06:34
    +3

    Fresh produce is most important, other stuff not so much. If I have to choose between two items assuming same quality, features and price I'll go the Australian made one. Otherwise features, quality and price are more important to me. I'm not going to buy an inferior or more expensive product just because it'd made here.

    • Embaloo on 11/01/2020 - 08:34

      Yeah me too. Tbh I haven't seen many inferior comparative products here.
      However maybe on garlic I'll pay the extra $3/kg

      • apsilon on 11/01/2020 - 10:30

        Yeah, what little gets made here (talking items, not produce/food) does tend to be high quality. Unfortauntely it also tends to be very high priced. I can't recall exactly what it was but many years ago I recall I bought an item that was made in Aust from a US retailer and even with shipping, it cost just 20% of what the exact same item cost locally. That really annoyed me.

  • onetwothreefour on 11/01/2020 - 07:51

    Price is the biggest factor in my decision making process, country of manufacture doesn't come into it at all.

    • Embaloo on 11/01/2020 - 08:33

      Yeah it's important to me too ha (hence loving ozb), but curious as to how people might do both on here.

  • whooah1979 on 11/01/2020 - 08:17
    +1

    We avoid all crappy food that is made in the PRC.

  • ihbh on 11/01/2020 - 08:34
    +1

    Most of my electronic/mechanical items are from overseas. I don't have an issue with this. If you do, watch The Third Industrial Revolution.

    All fresh foods from Aus; frozen and dried can be overseas but not China or via backdoor.

    fresh greens and fruit (water-borne disease risk and bio-security awareness)

    Are you more concerned about pollution?

    garlic (cos my uncle says…

    See above and bleaching - that is, don't worry about what your uncle says or doesn't say, use your own judgement.

    • Embaloo on 11/01/2020 - 08:46

      TTIR thanks, I'll look into it.

      Pollution, yeah partly, as well as buy local support local.

      My uncle has had too much experience in pesticides and the horticulture industry, and has seen standards here and abroad, so true, I did trust him, over my own research which people may or may not have done for their own financial gain…

      However now that you mention it, I could perform my own enzymatic and microbial activity tests and see first hand…

  • Hardlyworkin on 11/01/2020 - 09:18
    +1

    Souvenirs: though it can be quite difficult as Australian souvenirs are pretty tacky/terrible compared to a lot of other places.i don't see the point in taking souvenirs to friends overseas that are made in China.

    • Embaloo on 11/01/2020 - 09:19

      Ha yeah!! Likewise!!

    • ihbh on 11/01/2020 - 10:18
      +1

      What can be more genuine than kangaroo nut sacks.

      • Hardlyworkin on 11/01/2020 - 12:31

        Actually purchased one recently. Great gift for the right person!

  • Waldo000000 on 11/01/2020 - 16:08
    +1

    A good place to start to inform our choices: https://youtu.be/9MpVjxxpExM

  • The Value on 11/01/2020 - 23:12
    +1

    I only care when it comes to food. Always Australian over foreign when the choice is available, even if that country might be known for it. EG. Kimchi.

  • Shiny Mew on 12/01/2020 - 20:24
    +1

    Probably 90% of the stuff I buy is Australian-made. As an Australian citizen, I think it's the right thing to do to support my own country and doing so also often carries significant ethical benefits (eg smaller environmental impact of producing clothes in Australia under tighter environmental controls and less shipping emissions, and better working conditions).

  • WilliamPowerfish on 13/01/2020 - 13:29

    Ask the Asian at chemist warehouse that are stocking up with 3-4 carts full of vitamins, minerals, baby formula. Australian produce is some of the best in the world, compared to countries you cannot even see the sun without a bush fire.

  • Annie Mary on 02/04/2020 - 20:09

    I do always go for Australian Souvenirs. As my family and friends who are living outside Australia love them, I used to collect the most famous Australian souvenirs like opals, Tim tam chocolates, kangaroo leathers, etc., to gift them.

    https://australianchoice.com.au/ is the shop where I used to buy Souvenirs.

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