DEFENCE - MAXIMISING OPPORTUNITIES A STRONG PLAN FOR REAL CHANGE 1
We re ready. Over the last four years, we ve been working hard developing our vision for the future of South Australia. Not just policies, but a series of achievable milestones that have been crafted for the long-term benefit of our state. Our focus will be MORE JOBS. LOWER COSTS. BETTER SERVICES. We ve got a strong plan for real change. A STRONG PLAN FOR REAL CHANGE 2
WHAT WE LL DO If elected in March 2018, a Marshall Liberal Government will invest in strategies to secure defence industry export opportunities for South Australian based businesses. Our support for defence industry exporters will include: Bidding to make Adelaide the permanent home of the biennial Land Forces Conference which showcases the best of Australia s defence industry to the world; Working with the Defence Teaming Centre to identify global projects being delivered by Adelaide-based primes; Developing supply chain maps for these projects and informing sub-primes and small and medium enterprises (SME) in the defence sector about the opportunities to supply them; and Tasking the new network of South Australian trade offices which we will establish in key locations to assist sub-primes and SMEs to connect with local project offices and subsidiaries in these locations. A STRONG PLAN FOR REAL CHANGE 3
MORE JOBS. LOWER COSTS. BETTER SERVICES. LAND FORCES CONFERENCE Land Forces is a biennial conference showcasing the best of Australia s defence industry to the world, and South Australia is its natural home. Land Forces 2016 in Adelaide saw 13,450 visitors, 501 participating companies and 34 international delegations come to Adelaide. It took 155 semitrailers to bring in the state-of-the-art land warfare exhibits and technologies and visitors spent more than 3 000 bed-nights in local hotels. There was an immediate visitor economy benefit to South Australia worth more than $16.6 million in addition to the longer-term benefits to South Australia s defence industry of connections made, deals done and sales concluded. Land Forces 2018 will be held in Adelaide in September but strong competition is expected from other states to hold subsequent conferences. A Marshall Liberal Government will invest $200,000 through our Event Bid Fund to boost Adelaide s bid for Land Forces 2020. We will also seek to make Adelaide the permanent home of this defence industry international showcase. We will offer a compelling option that will see the nation s Defence State become the permanent home to one of Australia s biggest defence expos. SUPPORT THROUGH THE SUPPLY CHAIN The Federal Government s Defence Export Strategy released in January identifies North America, the Asia-Pacific (Japan and the Republic of Korea) and Middle-East regions as offering opportunities for growth of defence export markets. A Marshall Liberal Government will task the trade offices it will establish in these locations to support South Australian exporters seeking to enter these markets. One important area of support will be in advising and assisting with procurement processes in each of these locations. The defence industry has a small number of global Primes supported by some sub-primes and a wide base of small and medium enterprises (SME). The global defence market is highly competitive and can be difficult to enter, particularly for SMEs. There are about 2,700 businesses in Australia s defence industrial base with a growing number of them in South Australia as a result of the Federal Government s decision to centre its Naval Shipbuilding Program in our State. Through the Defence Teaming Centre, we will assist defence industry SMEs in South Australia to leverage opportunities in the supply chains of the Primes and sub-primes. We will also ensure South Australia is an active participant in the Defence Export Forum being established by the Federal Government to provide input to the development of export campaigns and co-ordinate a national export advocacy effort. It s important to support industry in ways like this to plan beyond the needs of the Naval Shipbuilding Program to how we can leverage export opportunities as we build a stronger, more sustainable and globally competitive Australian Defence Industry to supply our own defence capability needs. A STRONG PLAN FOR REAL CHANGE 4
MORE JOBS. LOWER COSTS. BETTER SERVICES. DEFENCE INDUSTRY SCHOLARSHIPS Supporting a growing South Australian Defence Industry to achieve international success as a leading supplier means that we have to encourage skills development across a range of occupations and professions, from welders to naval architects, electricians to project managers, electrical engineers to computer scientists. To build on the initiatives a Marshall Liberal Government will implement to boost skills development in the defence sector, we will partner with our universities and defence primes to create scholarships for tertiary students. We will establish a $1 million fund to support these scholarships. The fund will back students to undertake studies and internships needed to take advantage of career opportunities in the defence industry. The scholarships will be worth up to $17,500 for each student, depending on the length and type of study and whether it is full or part-time. Each scholarship will be available for up to three years of study, with successful applicants having to undertake an internship in addition to an approved program of study. Internships with defence primes will provide an opportunity for the scholars to take an industry placement to apply skills acquired in the lecture room on the job and learn about the business in which they are placed. This will prepare them for long term employment following completion of their studies. A Marshall Liberal Government s defence industry scholarships will complement the Turnbull Government s Commonwealth Scholarships Program for South Australia. We are providing encouragement for all age groups from school and tertiary students to older people in career transition to pursue the many opportunities opening up in the defence industry. A STRONG PLAN FOR REAL CHANGE 5
MORE JOBS. LOWER COSTS. BETTER SERVICES. WHY WE RE DOING IT The unprecedented scale of the Federal Government s investment in Australia s future defence capabilities offers great flow-on benefits for South Australia in skills development, job creation and export growth. We have already announced a number of policy initiatives to maximise these benefits. They include: Establishing at least one new technical college in Adelaide s western suburbs with a focus on encouraging students to prepare for work in the defence sector; Developing a comprehensive Defence Workforce Plan; Funding 1,200 apprenticeships within qualifications identified by the Defence Workforce Plan to ensure there is an adequate number of suitably trained workers across the entire supply chain; Establishing a new Diploma of Naval Shipbuilding training program; and Funding a Defence Industry Employment Program for ex-service personnel through the Defence Teaming Centre. Our initiatives take in school education and skills training right through to supporting people in career transition and businesses seeking to grow from defence industry opportunities. The construction of off-shore patrol vessels, frigates and submarines based in Adelaide is part of the Federal Government s $200 billion investment over the next decade in defence capability. But we know from past experience that our defence industry has to look beyond the needs of the Australian Defence Force alone to sustain itself across the peaks and troughs of domestic demand. Building on the opportunities provided by the Federal Government s Naval Shipbuilding Program, the defence industry is well-positioned to pursue and secure defence export markets. Development of export markets has to be industryled but strongly supported by government to achieve international success. A STRONG PLAN FOR REAL CHANGE 6
STEVEN MARSHALL MP State Liberal Leader www.strongplan.com.au Phone: 08 8363 9111 Email: steven@stevenmarshall.com.au A STRONG PLAN FOR REAL CHANGE 7