Gavin Pearce (Braddon, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Health, Aged Care and Indigenous Health Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I never tire of standing in this place talking about the achievements and the potential of King Island and the north-west coast of the great state of Tasmania. Today it's with great pride that I advise this House that our region continues to punch well above its weight.

Last week it was announced that Burnie-based advanced manufacturing company Elphinstone will partner with Hanwha Defense Australia to build Australia's next generation of infantry fighting vehicles for the Defence Force. This project will see Elphinstone manufacture the hull for 129 Redback IFAs, infantry fighting assemblages, which form part of Land 400 phase 3.

Elphinstone are doing the heavy lifting, and all our other advanced manufacturers right along the coast, such as Delta Hydraulics, Penguin Composites, Direct Edge, Jayben and others, are playing a very important part in transforming the region into a manufacturing centre of excellence.

These businesses are laying the foundations for economic prosperity by building a global reputation in advanced manufacturing, particularly in defence.

As we know, confidence breeds confidence. On the back of this success, Elphinstone is now investing in a new facility which will allow it to vie for other subsequent defence projects. They'll get stronger and stronger. This will create new jobs and increase investment right throughout the supply chain.

I got into politics because I want to play my part in making our region the very best it can be. I've always said, 'If you look down, you'll trip over.' So I want our manufacturers and our younger generations to look up, to look over the horizon and to see the potential that they have as a region. And that's what these projects do.

The stone age didn't finish because we ran out of rocks; it was simply because we found greater technologies. And that's what we're talking about here in the north-west of Tasmania. We're changing from an underground earthmoving machinery manufacturing process to a defence manufacturing process, and that will create the IP and the necessary skills, knowledge and attitudes to build that next form and help that next generation into that new way forward. So I see many advantages, not only for that business, not only for the state and not only for the revenue for the state, but for our IP and the future of manufacturing in the great state of Tasmania.