Page 134 - Australian Defence Magazine Dec21-Jan22

134 FROM THE SOURCE MELISSA PRICE
DECEMBER 2021-JANUARY 2022 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
over the next financial year. Defence has already funded grants worth almost $5.5 million to 67 businesses as of 30 September 2021.
ADM: How do you strike a balance between creating new jobs in shipbuilding and the tight timeframe for deliver- ing a nuclear-powered submarine capability to the Prime Minister’s 2040 deadline?
been from the day I became the Defence Industry Minister. I have no doubt the AUKUS Agreement will open up more opportunities for Australian businesses. We need an industry established around our nuclear-powered subma- rines to support and maintain them including, importantly, nuclear stewardship. But the closer relationship with the US and UK that will come as a result of the AUKUS agree- ment means those new opportunities will not just be re- stricted to shipbuilding. So, for example, small business will be crucial to the success of our $100 billion sovereign guided weapons enterprise over the next 20 years and the AUKUS Agreement will only serve to enhance the transfer of intellectual property and technology needed from the US. We’re working with the UK and the US to look at the full suite of requirements that underpin the delivery of the nuclear submarines. That obviously includes submarine design, construction, safety, operations, maintenance, dis- posal, education and training – it’s a very long list – instal- lations, infrastructure, industrial based capacity workforce
and, of course, force structure.
The nuclear-powered submarine program will create thou-
sands of jobs in Australia over the coming decade and during the transition to the nuclear powered submarine program.
ADM: How will you re-establish relationships with indus- try primes and SMEs affected by the cancellation of Sea 1000?
Australian SMEs with contracts with Naval Group or Lockheed Martin, as you would expect, will go through a contract termination process and I have told the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary of Defence to ensure that this process ensures a resolution is reached as quickly as pos- sible for those businesses.
PRICE: There’s no doubt that we’re on the cusp of a world of new opportunities for Australia’s defence industry and that was my message to defence in- dustry leaders in a teleconference call I convened on 1 October, which was soon after the PM’s announcement of AUKUS. On that call were representa- tives of more than 20 groups, includ- ing AIDN and AI Group, Henderson Alliance, groups from Victoria and Queensland, etc, including every se- nior manager in Defence’s Capability
Acquisition and Sustainment Group. During that call I reinforced my com- mitment to fight for Australian businesses in both naval and other exciting new industries created and driven by AUKUS, and I wanted to reassure those businesses that I genuinely do have their backs and Australian jobs, created by support- ing small business, is remaining my top priority, as it has
ABOVE: Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price and Head of Maritime Systems, RADM Wendy Malcolm at the keel laying ceremony for OPV ‘Gippsland’ at Civmec’s Henderson shipyard on 30 July 2021
“WE NEED TO POSITION AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE INDUSTRY AS ROBUST AND MORE INTERNATIONALLY COMPETITIVE”
DEFENCE