Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr President. Such a great interest in maximising Australian industry involvement—which is very important. Each of the short-listed designers for the Future Frigate and the Offshore Patrol Vessels programs will be required to develop an Australian industry capability plan that maximises opportunities for small to medium Australia suppliers in both the build and sustainment phases. Those plans are required to include a strategy to transition their existing supply chains to Australian supply chains and to explore opportunities to integrate their Australian suppliers into the global supply chains.

The small- to medium-sized industry, which is so predominant in the Australian defence area, will also be assisted by the government's Centre for Defence Industry Capability, which, as you know, Senator Edwards, will be headquartered in Adelaide. It will help them to better understand and meet the opportunities offered through these very substantial projects.

Our commitment to a strong defence industry, as set out in our defence white paper and defence industry policy statement, is a key pillar of our shipbuilding program.