Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of Senator Carr, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) recognises:

(i) the vital contribution of the Australian shipbuilding industry as an employer, a storehouse of advanced manufacturing capabilities and a strategic asset, and

(ii) the urgent need for the Government to bring forward project work to ensure continuity of industry development, growth and employment;

(b) is gravely concerned by:

(i) the scheduled end of project work in three Australian shipyards in 2015,

(ii) the severe consequences of the resulting project trough, including:

  (A) the retrenchment of more than 3 000 skilled workers,

  (B) the crippling of the shipbuilding supply chain, and

  (C) the forced closure of research projects and facilities supporting shipbuilding and advanced manufacturing,

(iii) the heavy costs of rebuilding lost capabilities and retraining workers to meet future defence needs, and

(iv) the threat to national security posed by the erosion of local capability; and

(c) calls on the Government to immediately:

(i) identify suitable project work to be fast-tracked and make a public commitment to those projects with a revised timeframe for tendering and delivery,

(ii) recognise that this cannot wait for the Defence White Paper process to be concluded, and

(iii) incorporate the long term opportunities for the Australian shipbuilding industry as a strategic priority in all future naval procurement plans.

I think this is an especially well-written motion. Coming from South Australia as you do, Acting Deputy President Edwards, you will appreciate the significance of this particular motion in relation to the Australian shipbuilding industry. It talks of the need for the current government to bring forward project work to ensure that the terrific work that is being done in the Australian shipbuilding industry and in particular the shipbuilding work being done in South Australia, although that is not mentioned in this particular motion. The point Senator Carr makes in his motion is that there is an urgency about what potentially is an end to the shipbuilding industry unless projects are announced so that when the current array of shipbuilding projects comes to an end next year there is something to replace it.