Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

When my constituents ask me what I believe my most important tasks are as their member for Fisher, the three most critical ones that come to mind are: to help build a strong economy for our community, to secure the infrastructure and create the jobs that we need on the Sunshine Coast, and to play my part in ensuring that all Australians are protected by a strong and capable Defence Force.

Today I want to concentrate on the third of these important tasks—namely, the defence of Australia. I'm working hard to drive the Fisher Defence Industry Initiative and to encourage a high-technology manufacturing and defence industry hub in the southern and central parts of the Sunshine Coast. This initiative will not only help to ensure that our economy is robust and offers our young people the career opportunities they need but also encourage skilled people on the Sunshine Coast to innovate and create new products, which will increase our nation's defence capability.

I know that the Minister for Defence Industry shares those priorities for his own constituents and for our country. In pursuit of those twin objectives, he is delivering on a $200 billion investment by the Turnbull government in building our sovereign capability. As a core part of that investment strategy, the minister and his department are very actively engaging with small and medium sized businesses all over Australia. Would the minister please outline how Defence's engagement with SMEs is enabling the government to build sovereign capability and a strong Defence Force? The benefits of this investment for our defence are vital, but the benefits for local economies are every bit as important. Since winning a contract to supply wet decks for 14 Romeo Navy helicopters as well as a federal government commercialisation grant of a million dollars to develop their new lifesaving stretcher technology, Fisher business HeliMods has taken on new employees on the Sunshine Coast. These contracts have provided HeliMods with more work and the chance to develop a new commercial product and have brought the company and its dynamic founder, Will Shrapnel, increased local profile and greater international credibility to grow this business even further.

Last week I was grateful for the opportunity to represent the minister in announcing a further contract from the federal government for $2 million to a local business, Praesidium Global. This contract, which follows our investment with Praesidium of $1.3 million, will pay for the delivery of four more of the Caloundra company's MAPS, unmanned ground vehicles. These new vehicles will be extensively tested during a 12-month trial in Townsville and at Shoalwater Bay. If they prove equal to the trials, as I'm sure they will, these vehicles will provide our soldiers with a cutting-edge new technology to move heavy equipment, keep troops out of harm's way, recover injured service men and women, and deliver logistical support to the front line. Just as importantly for my community, this contract is already creating new high-tech manufacturing jobs for people in Fisher. In order to deliver these additional four units, Praesidium are intending to double their workforce to 20. However, if the trial is successful and Praesidium win a contract to supply many more of these vehicles, the implications for my community will be significant. Would the minister please outline how Defence's engagement with SMEs is enabling the government to help grow regional economies and create more jobs for more Australians?

The economic benefits of the government's defence industry investment go far beyond the value of the ADF's own procurement. I recently travelled to Washington to take part in the Sea-Air-Space expo, the largest maritime expo in the United States. I was there with HeliMods, working to promote the defence businesses we have in Fisher, and their products, to the many global prime contractors and US defence representatives taking part. HeliMods and the University of the Sunshine Coast also recently attended the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris.

There are already SMEs in Fisher which are part of my Fisher Defence Industry Initiative and which are exporting defence and high-tech manufacturing projects. Eniquest in Bells Creek export portable generators to the Singaporean military, while Caloundra SME APAC Infrastructure are exporting their portable telecommunications platform through a partnership with Boeing. So I ask the minister to outline how Defence's engagement with SMEs is enabling the government to help grow Australia's exports and promote our products overseas. (Time expired)

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