Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am very pleased to support this motion from the member for Herbert looking at the importance of defence industries for small business, particularly in my electorate of Macquarie.

The recent bushfire crisis has more than demonstrated how pivotal RAAF Base Richmond is for emergency operations in our area and up the eastern seaboard. The New South Wales Rural Fire Service has permanently based a large aerial tanker and spotter aircraft at the base. Coulson Aviation Australia, which is an American company, is one of the suppliers of equipment, aircraft technology and logistics to the RFS. There is now a 10-year deal to provide flight and maintenance personnel for a Boeing 737 Fireliner and two lead-and-intelligence aircraft based at Richmond.

Members would be aware that the Coulson Aviation crew which died, tragically, on 23 January while helping to fight the fires had flown out of our RAAF Base Richmond. On 30 January, the base hosted an emotional farewell for the three personnel, Captain Ian McBeth, First Officer Paul Clyde Hudson and Flight Engineer Rick A DeMorgan Jr. Yesterday, of course, they were fittingly honoured at the memorial service in Sydney, along with the 22 others who lost their lives in the New South Wales fires.

The establishment of the RFS aerial firefighting resources at Richmond is really good for our community and complements the existing defence industry that takes place there. It is the perfect place for these industries to be, and we'd like to see them expanded because our local economy in the Hawkesbury—and, to a lesser extent, the economy that feeds off RAAF Base Glenbrook—has a really heavy dependence on this RAAF base and all the associated operations, including the RFS operations.

In the Hawkesbury, the RAAF base employs just under 10 per cent of people in the whole local government area. The Richmond base has been an integral part of the Hawkesbury community for more than a century. Richmond RAAF was the first base to be established in New South Wales, and as early as 1916 a school of aviation was operating on that site on Ham Common to train aviators for military flying. That became the Richmond aerodrome when it was taken over by the federal government in 1923, with the first squadron being formed in 1925. So we have a very long and proud history in the area with the RAAF and now the Army on the site.

According to data from Regional Development Australia, defence is by far the largest employment sector inside the base, with about 1,500 people, but other significant sectors include aircraft manufacturing and repair services, with more than 350 jobs, and there are other automotive repair and maintenance and engineering design and consulting services, which employ dozens of people. The presence of the private sector means there are more high-skilled jobs for a whole lot of people from aircraft maintenance engineers and computer technicians through to support services. It means more people are likely to live and work in our region, and that also has a vital flow on to our local economy We value that. This defence industry component is really crucial.

Labor has always been committed to ensuring local economic outcomes are a key objective of defence procurement. We want to see greater engagement by local small businesses in the defence industries and as suppliers to the Defence Force, we want to see Australian manufacturing businesses in the defence industry supply chain, we want to see Australian technologies, and we want to see Australian workers working for Australian companies. I like the principle of Australian self-reliance, a self-sustaining Australian defence industry which allows us to maintain and sustain the ADF and all of its equipment without reliance on outside sources. It allows us to build technological capability and workforce skills and has really positive consequences for other industries and innovation. Defence innovation has led to so many things like the internet, drones, weather radar, microwave ovens, digital cameras and the EpiPen. We'd like to see more of that happening in the Hawkesbury. I want to see this engagement with businesses in my region. The defence industry at Richmond is long term, but of course there is the threat that the all new and shiny aerotropolis which is planned next to Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek will tempt these industries away from Richmond. I'm very pleased to work with Hawkesbury council, our chamber of commerce and Western Sydney University to make sure we have a thriving industry, and whatever incentives are being given to businesses to establish near the new airport should also apply to Richmond. It is one of the best things the government could do for our regional economy.

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