Justine Keay (Braddon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm pleased to be able to speak on this motion, because in my state and electorate there is bipartisan support for the opportunities arising from the defence industry, as evidenced by a motion that I wrote that was presented in the Senate and signed by Tasmania's Liberal and Labor senators. It was carried in the House of Representatives and spoken to last year—obviously only spoken to by Tasmanian Labor MPs, because there aren't any Tasmanian Liberal ones.

The honourable member for Fisher's motion—unfortunately, the member isn't speaking on this motion—highlights that more needs to be done when it comes to investment in Australian defence industry. As the member states in his motion, Australia ranks 13th in the world for defence expenditure but is only 20th when it comes to defence exports. When it comes to this area, the government needs to look no further than my state of Tasmania and my electorate for some of that capability.

The Australian Maritime College, or the AMC, has researched and developed autonomous underwater vehicles, or AUVs. In August last year, the first of these AUVs was launched to support Australia's Antarctic program. The AUV is capable of diving up to 5,000 metres and operating underneath the ice. It is not too big a stretch to see how this research could transpose to the defence sector. The AMC has also secured a $3 million three-year research grant into marine research in partnership with the Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative run by the US Department of Defense.

In southern Tasmania, there are a number of industries with a defence capability in and around Prince of Wales Bay on the River Derwent. Incat has sold catamarans to the United States Navy. Taylor Brothers, who are specialists in marine accommodation, have successfully won contracts with the Australian air warfare destroyer project and previously provided services to the Royal New Zealand Navy.

Specialist antenna suppliers Moonraker Australia has also been awarded a contract for the new Australian destroyers. In November last year, Liferaft Systems Australia, who design and manufacture marine evacuation systems and life rafts, won contracts to support the United Kingdom's type 26 global combat ships. They are also suppliers to the Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. So, while we are exporting from Tasmania to other countries' defence capabilities, I'm sure the Australian government could ensure that Tasmanian manufacturers do more in our own country.

In my part of Tasmania, there are a number of local manufacturing businesses that have the capability to deliver defence product. Local manufacturer Elphinstone Group partnered with Elbit Systems to construct new combat reconnaissance vehicles as part of the Land 400. While the bid was not downselected, sadly—with most of it Australian content—for the next stage, it did demonstrate the capability that exists in Tasmania and at Elphinstone. It certainly put Tasmania and my region on the defence manufacturing map.

Another local manufacturer is Direct Edge Manufacturing of Burnie, which produces high-quality sheet metal manufacturing products that are exported throughout the world. Direct Edge Manufacturing has also completed maritime projects for the Tasmanian government's port authority, TasPorts, and recently it was announced that Rheinmetall, who won the contract to construct the Land 400 combat reconnaissance vehicles, will be using Direct Edge as one of their small- to medium-sized businesses in the project.

Another highly-skilled local manufacturer also in my electorate is Penguin Composites. They have separate facilities for recreational vehicle assembly, metal workshops and fibreglassing. They have built igloos for Antarctica and worked with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority on the construction of small lighthouses. In October last year, Penguin Composites won a three-year $8 million contract with Thales Australia to build bonnets and various parts for the new Hawkei protected army vehicles.

It is clear that more work needs to be done to bridge the gap between Australian manufacturers and the defence materiel that we need and, of course, the defence materiel that we can export. I urge this government to continue to look towards Tasmania and my region when it comes to defence capability. I know the Tasmanian Liberal senators and all the Tasmanian Labor senators and members are on the same page. We have the skills, the capability, a stable workforce and an enthusiastic and innovative university and maritime college. We are geographically secure. We need those jobs. They are long-term and sustaining jobs. We just need more opportunity to show it. Thank you.

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