A plan to attract more federal Defence contracts to build ships, submarines and other sea-based defences in NSW has been announced by the Premier, Kristina Keneally.
Ms Keneally said a new Maritime Capability Hub would be established in the State and key maritime defence sites such as Sydney, Newcastle and Nowra would be used in efforts to attract new Commonwealth Defence contracts.
Bid for more major contracts
“The Federal Government is expected to spend more than $300 billion over the next 20 years on maintaining and updating Defence systems and purchasing new technology in the biggest overhaul of our Defence force ever undertaken,” she said.
“We have a unique opportunity to secure a solid share of Army, Navy and Air Force contracts here in NSW.”
Ms Keneally said there were a number of upcoming contracts for the Navy, including two new submarines to replace the current six Collins Class submarines; enhancements to the weapons systems of three new Air Warfare Destroyers; and six new MRH-90 helicopters to replace the Sea King fleet based in Nowra.
“NSW has a strong history of supporting the Royal Australian Navy in developing and maintaining projects, including shipbuilding, component manufacturing and advanced systems,” she said.
Ms Keneally said a NSW Defence industry survey conducted last year revealed that companies operating in NSW generated over $1.2 billion in Defence work over the past year and employed over 7,000 people in Defence-related jobs.
“When you combine this with our world-class research and development capabilities, it is clear the NSW defence industry has the capacity and capability to meet the schedule, cost and technical requirements associated with the Commonwealth’s Defence upgrade,” she said.
Ms Keneally said the development of a Maritime Hub would be undertaken alongside the work being done by the Passenger Cruise Terminal Steering Committee, which is investigating berthing options for large cruise ships.
She said NSW would seek to secure 30 per cent of the Commonwealth’s domestic Defence spend within a decade and create more than 1,500 new jobs in Defence-related industries within four years.
The first step in the plan was the establishment of the Air Combat Capability Hub in
Newcastle which will see NSW play a central role in the delivery of new national aviation technology including the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.
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