More jobs in Defence

South Australia is set to become the maritime hub of Australia as the state will spearhead a major expansion of Australia’s naval capabilities, supporting thousands of jobs and advancing the state’s shipbuilding expertise.

The federal government is investing heavily in defence industry projects, including the Hunter Class Frigate Program, the Collins Class submarine capability upgrade, Air Warfare Destroyer combat system upgrade and the nuclear-powered submarine fleet that will be built with the cooperation of our strategic allies. These projects will support thousands of jobs to make sure we retain our highly capable, skilled shipbuilding workforce in South Australia.

The Morrison Government is investing $15 billion over ten years in cyber and information warfare capabilities, which are critical in the era of grey-zone warfare.

In addition to state sponsored attacks, we have seen major ransomware attacks on major Australian corporate and media companies. In 2020-21, the Australian Cyber Security Centre responded to over 1,600 cyber security incidents. These included incidents affecting the electricity, water, education, banking and finance, health, communications and transport sectors.

In response to this growing threat, the government is investing $1.67 billion – including $1.35 billion in the Australian Signals Directorate – to bolster Australia’s cyber security. This includes measures to disrupt and defeat cybercriminals offshore and to block cyber threats to Australia, protecting more Australians.

Collins Class Submarines

South Australia will continue to be home for Collins class submarine full-cycle docking. In addition, the upgrade of six Collins class submarines will remain in South Australia until 2026. Up to $6.4 billion will be invested in these works, and approximately 1,300 jobs will be supported in South Australia.

Hunter Class Frigates

Work has begun on the Hunter Class Frigate program, which is the largest surface ship project in the nation’s defence history. The frigates will be built at the Osborne Naval Shipyard and the project will create and sustain more than 5,000 jobs.

Additionally, the Morrison Government is investing $65 million to deliver a land-based test facility for the Hunter Class, creating up to 180 jobs at businesses across Adelaide at the project’s peak.

Construction of the facility has begun, with completion anticipated by early 2023.

Air Warefare Destroyers

The Government will invest up to $5.1 billion in upgrades to the Hobart Class destroyer combat management system at Osborne from 2024, creating 300 jobs South Australia.

Future Submarine Program

The first major initiative of AUKUS is the delivery of a new nuclearpowered submarine fleet built in Adelaide. The United Kingdom, United States and Australia will focus immediately on identifying the optimal pathway to deliver at least eight nuclear-powered submarines.

Over the next 18 months, the three countries will intensely examine the full suite of requirements that underpin nuclear stewardship and demonstrate a clear pathway to becoming a responsible and reliable steward of this sensitive technology.