The news you need to know: August 2026

A billion dollar loss. A $3.5 billion dollar bet on Australian protein. And a reporting season that said more about manufacturing decisions than it did about margins. Welcome to the August edition of PLAY, your monthly wrap-up of the biggest stories shaping Australia’s food and beverage manufacturing industry. This month it is reporting season, foreign capital, a dairy business finally going to market, and a regulator saying no for the second time. Let’s get into it.

Packaging News

Phil Biggs has been elected chair of the Australian Packaging and Processing Machinery Association, succeeding Rob Marguccio, with Rosanne Jessop and Mark Emmett continuing in their roles.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners has completed a $39.7 million manufacturing upgrade at its Kewdale facility in Western Australia, installing a high-speed can production line that increases capacity by more than 40 per cent and lifts production speeds to 1500 cans per minute.

APPMA members have re-elected Phil Biggs and Nathan Wardell to the association’s Board, while Select Equip founder James White joins as a director for the first time.