• Economic Outlook for 2026 — Insights, Opportunities, and What’s Ahead for Our Industry
    Economic Outlook for 2026 — Insights, Opportunities, and What’s Ahead for Our Industry
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The Society of Plastics Engineers Australia–New Zealand (SPE: A-NZ) will hold its Economic Outlook for 2026 briefing on 26 November at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in Melbourne.

The session is aimed at professionals across the plastics, manufacturing and related sectors seeking context on economic conditions that may affect operations, investment and supply chains in the year ahead.

The organisation says this year’s session will feature Alan Oster, chief economist at National Australia Bank, who will outline expectations for Australia’s growth, inflation, energy costs and business sentiment, along with international factors that may influence trade and supply.

SPE: A-NZ says the event will also provide an opportunity for attendees to reconnect with colleagues and exchange ideas.

The program will be opened by Hamed Ghajarnia, president of SPE: A-NZ. The event runs from 7am to 9.30am AEDT.

For more information, click here.

Food & Drink Business

Almondco and SunRice will be inducted into the Australian Export Awards Hall of Fame in 2026 in recognition of their outstanding and sustained contribution to Australian exporting.

Food and beverage manufacturers are facing a warehouse space crisis, and most of them did not see it coming. Production expanded, storage followed and over time, an organised operation became a fragmented footprint of disconnected warehouses, rising third-party costs, and a site nobody would have designed on purpose. Swisslog ANZ director of sales, Steve Dimitrovski, examines why the space problem is structural and how automation is helping manufacturers solve it without building a new site.

NSW Food and Beverage manufacturers are invited to join an upcoming information session at the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF) to learn about funding and support available to help businesses innovate, grow and improve competitiveness.