CONTRIBUTION TO THE ECONOMY

The industry makes a significant contribution to the Australian economy through its purchase of locally produced materials. Over 60% of raw materials used by the industry are sourced locally. These include primary inputs such as titanium dioxide, talc, zinc dust, and lyrates intermediates such as acrylic emulsions, alkyd resins and driers, cardboard packaging, metal and plastic cans, labels, pamphlets and brochures.

The following figures given an indication of the contributions of the industry to the Australian economy:

• · one in five people employed in the chemical industry is employed by a paint manufacturer,
• · the wages and salaries of the 6000 employees amounts to 17% of the chemical industry's total wage bill of over $1 billion,
• · the value of turnover of each person directly employed by paint manufacturers amounts to $225,000 - which is 26% greater than the figure of $179,000 for manufacturing industry as a whole
• · the total value of paint production in 1992/93 amounted to $1.4 billion or 17% of the chemical industry's value of production of $7.9 billion,
• · the paint industry is also a green industry having spent almost $10 million an environmental protection measures in 1990/91.