The accommodation of growth : Canberra's growing pains 1945-1955

This paper highlights the economic and demographic constraints which were placed on the Commonwealth Government in its role as the planner and developer of Canberra during the first decade after the Second World War. These constraints place the establishment of the National Capital Development Commission in perspective, by qualifying the role attributed to various individuals (such as Prime Minister Robert Menzies). In this more structural light, the 1955 Senate Inquiry into the Future Development of Canberra is an important event, not simply for the rejuvenation of the Canberra vision and the recognition of the need for a National Capital, but for the preparatory framework of the organisational form which Canberra’s planning and development body would assume in the future. However, the timing of the establishment of this body — the NCDC — was fortuitous, in the sense that the constraints which previously had held back Canberra’s development during the first post-war decade were beginning to disappear. In the paper, these claims are supported by examining the housing crisis which Canberra faced during this period. This crisis assumed a number of guises, from the housing shortage to discontent over rentals, and from the form housing took to participation in local decision-making. These issues are explored from the perspective of local builders, workers and residents. Indeed, a close examination of the evidence before the 1955 Senate Inquiry reveals the important contribution which Canberran residents made to the final recommendations. However, most commentators have tended to focus attention on the evidence presented by the planning profession.Australian Policy Online (APO)'s Linked Data II project, funded by the Australian Research Council, with partners at the ANU Library, Swinburne University and RMIT

Sub-contracting, the seamy side of the clothing industry

This paper is the third in a series on the clothing industry, . forming part of the research project 'A Local Division of Production: Technological Change and the Productive lnterlinkages in Australian Manufacturing'. The findings and arguments presented in this paper are based on a variety of data including face to face interviews with industry, government and union representatives. The garment industry is characterised by labour intensity, the predominance of small firms and the pervasive practice of subco ntracting out the assembly stage of production . The results of the current study indicate that within certain sub-sectors of the clothing industry, these features are a consequence of the need for fl exibility and that in particular, sub-contracting, a critical link in the clothing chain of production, appears to be the only economically viable strategy for many firms in the current economic climate. However this strategy succeeds at the expense of a severely exploited hidden workforce of outworkers. The future of the Australian clothing industry has come under close scrutiny recently through Government measures designed to open up the se ctor to international competition. Both the Government and the union movement argue that the only survival path open to local clothing firms is to adopt the latest technology, improve quality, exploit niche markets and target export potentials. This paper suggests however, that although many of Australia's largest clothing companies are adopting this approach, many other companies cannot afford to and are likely to devise instead, an alternative survival strategy which incorporates the traditional practice of outwork. Unless more effort is made to understand the structure and the dynamics of change within this industry, the future scenario is likely to be quite different from that which the Government believes it is promoting and may well conflict with the grand vi sion of award restructuring being fostered by the Government and the unions

Home magazines and modernist dreams : designing the 1950s house

Alastair Greig's paper examines the modem home through the medium of Australian House and Garden, and qualifies some functionalist sociological interpretations of the 'role' of home magazines and their promotion of modernism. It expands the argument of a later chapter in The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of" Housing Provision in Australia 1945-1960 (MUP, 1995). This book is a study of the interconnections between the socio-economic and technological context of home building, the mechanisms of housing supply, the nature of housing demand and the influence of housing design in that period

Housing and social theory: testing the Fordist models, or, Social theory and afFORDable housing

Although the concept of Fordism has been used to help explain a wide range ofphenomena in Australian post-war political economy, there have been few attempts to assess its utility within the field of housing provision. This paper is a preliminanry attempt to 'test' the Fordist model. It distinguishes between two uses of the concept: a narrow 'productivist' approach which focuses on the 'backwardness'ofthe housing industry\ and a broader 'societal' approach which focuses on the interrelationship betw een dominant production techniques, patterns of mass consumption, and urban form. The first section examines the narrow> use of Fordism and argues that it has only limited practical and analytic value for explaining developments within the Australian housing industry. However, the second section of the paper suggests that the broader use of the concept—derived from the regulation school ofpolitical economy—is usefulfor explaining the coincidence between suburbanisation, mass consumption and mass production during the golden era ofFordism after the Second World War.Australian Policy Online (APO)'s Linked Data II project, funded by the Australian Research Council, with partners at the ANU Library, Swinburne University and RMIT

Retailing is more than shopkeeping : manufacturing interlinkages and technological change in the Australian clothing industry

This paper is one of a series on the Australian clothing industry, forming part of the research project "A Local Division of Production: Technological Change and Productive Interlinkages in Australian Manufacturing". The project examines the effect of technological change and modern production philosophies upon the relationship between clients and suppliers within industry sectors. As the emphasis on quality becomes a cornerstone of entrepreneurial survival and success both process and product innovation take on an increasing significance. The project hypothesizes that these changes will have far-reaching consequences upon the interaction between leading , or 'core' ,firms and their manufacturing suppliers. Within the overall context of the project, the purpose of this paper is definitional. It is argued that within the clothing industry chain (or filiere) large retail chains are 'core' firms promoting technological and managerial change among manufacturing suppliers and their suppliers. It is further argued that the responses to change from manufacturers take on diverse forms according to size and market position. While manufacturers have responded 'flexibly' to changing conditions, the diverse forms of flexiblility introduced by different sectors of the market are more characteristic of ' neo-Fordism' , and evidence of an emerging 'post-Fordist' consciousness among management remains limited. The paper begins with a brief history of the Australian clothing industry over the past two decades.focusing upon the changing policy environment. This leads to a description of the Federal Government's Textile, Clothing and Footwear Plan , and an assessment of the problems manufacturers face in adjusting to the new conditions . It is then argued that an analysis of the 'industry chain' must take into account the role performed by core retailers in altering manufacturing practices. Two areas in particular are examined; the growing awareness of quality control, and the introduction of Quick Response strategies. The conclusion reached is that the core retail sector has performed, and will continue to perform, a catalytic role within the Australian clothing manufacturing sector, and that commentators and industry analysts must broaden their conceptions of industry chains in order to take account of this factor

Rhetoric and reality in the clothing industry : the case of post-Fordism

This paper is the second in a series on technological and organisational change within the Australian clothing industry, and forms part of the research project entitled 'A Local Division of Production : Technological Change and Productive lnterlinkages in Australian Manufacturing'. The purpose of this second paper is to examine in greater detail how new production concepts have been translated at the clothing manufacturing enterprise level. These changing production techniques are empirically explored through the 'lens' of the post-fordist paradigm. The study concludes that although most companies have had to introduce varying degrees of flexibilty into their operations, this flexibility cannot legitimately be described as post-fordist. A cautionary note is also raised : when examining technological and organisational change in the clothing industry it is not enough to look at individual firms as self-contained units; any useful analysis must also take account of the practice of subco nt ra ct i ng and strategic interlinkages between companies

The structure and organisation of housing production : a background paper and literature review

In early-1991 the National Housing Strategy, established by the Department of Community Services and Health, commissioned Alastair Greig and Patrick Troy to undertake the research project "Structure, Organisation and Skill Formation in the Australian Housing Industry: Factors Affecting Production Costs". This paper provides a background on the focus and nature of the project . The paper will also review Australian and overseas literature relating to the subject. This will be done by providing: - an outline of the aims and objectives of the project as established by the National Housing Strategy, and an outline of the relevance of the project to the issue of housing costs; - a description of the methodology to be adopted and the theoretical framework informing the project; - a description of the structure of housing provision and its agents; - a discussion of Australian housing production activity and the changing market environment which agents confront; and - a preliminary discussion of new technology and new managerial strategies, and their possible effect on efficiency, innovation and skill formation within the housing industry. Throughout 1991 the researchers will be approaching a wide range of people in order to discuss the structure of housing provision, to examine problems facing the agents within the industry, and to understand how corporate strategies evolve to meet changing circumstances. Discussions will focus on issues of efficiency, innovation, skill formation and inter-firm linkages. It is hoped that this paper will help to clarify the issues, contribute to a better understanding of housing industry policy reform options and address the issues of accessibility, affordability and lower housing costs.This document was prepared as background material for the project 'Structure, Organisation and Skill Formation in the Australian Housing Industry', commissioned by the National Housing Strategy, Commonwealth Department of Healt, Housing and Community Services

The structure and organisation of housing production : a background paper and literature review

Coles, R. C

Rhetoric and reality in the clothing industry : the case of post-Fordism

Coles, R. C

Sub-contracting, the seamy side of the clothing industry

Coles, R. C