On the 12th of January, the defence industry renews its call on the Federal Government to release its plan for naval shipbuilding following reports more jobs will be lost in government-owned shipbuilder, ASC.
Australian Made Defence campaign national spokesperson, Chris Burns said the time for shifting blame had passed and the Federal Government needed to act now to prevent further capability losses.
“As projects tail off, our industry loses valuable skills. It’s time we stop looking at defence acquisition as one-off projects and commit to an ongoing national shipbuilding plan.
“The defence industry is a key employer in South Australia and has a strong workforce in Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales, all of which are already under risk if industry does not have certainty into the future.
“As more workers lose their jobs and small business have to close shop around the country, we renew our call on the Federal Government to provide the sector with certainty of their commitment to a national shipbuilding strategy.
“Industry is in limbo as it awaits the outcomes of the Competitive Evaluation Processes for submarines, Future Frigates and Offshore Patrol Vessels.
“If innovation is indeed the cornerstone for this Government’s policies, it needs to commit to retaining and growing the existing highly skilled workforce to deliver those outcomes.
“Industry will invest in innovation strategies upfront if the Federal Government commits to building and maintaining Australia’s ships and submarines locally as part of a continuous national plan.
“The defence industry will play a crucial role to promote innovation, agility and global competitiveness contributing to the growth of the Australian economy.
“With Federal Government commitment, industry can develop local design capabilities key to building our future fleets. Without it, industry cannot invest in technologies or training and it is Australians who will miss out.
“The Federal Government has not yet made any commitment to the defence industry as part of their innovation agenda central to reinvigorating our economy.
“A national plan of all Australian government fleets will not only directly benefit the shipbuilding and defence industries, but also the supply chain businesses required to deliver and sustain those projects.
“Thousands of Australians are affected by any delay to deliver a long-term plan for the defence industry.
“A continuous build national shipbuilding plan makes sense and it will benefit our economy,” said Mr Burns.
