Kristy McBain (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's a very tough act to follow the member for Herbert. My region is home to countless amazing, innovative organisations and industries, but perhaps one that flies under the radar to some of our communities, probably for obvious reasons, is that of the defence industry. I am lucky enough to host numerous defence industry businesses in my region. These businesses are at the cutting edge of new technology and are a great example of how regional organisations can succeed through innovation.

One of those organisations is a Queanbeyan based defence innovation and technology company, Spearpoint. They have been busy creating a new digital combat helmet system for the Defence Force. It will allow our ADF personnel to maintain effortless operational communication, will have new night vision technology and will weigh considerably less than currently used helmets. The project is still in its early development, but they have already identified over 20 Australian organisations that they will be able to work with as they move towards the prototyping phase in 2022, keeping more money in Australia and continuing to support our local economies.

Spearpoint is also at the cutting edge of multispectral signature management systems. The system is designed to help our soldiers stay hidden from detection and safe whilst on the battlefield. Spearpoint is progressing with a plan to bring the advanced manufacturing capabilities required to make these systems onshore, called Plan Echidna, which will further support Australian jobs. Their plan would create 70 permanent jobs in skilled manufacturing and technical specialisation during the initial stages and, subsequently, opportunities for over 350 jobs as additional knowledge is transferred from overseas to Australia. The plan is consistent with the vision for Australia's defence industry to maximise job opportunities, increase advanced manufacturing capability and establish defence exports that could support the broader Australian economy. These projects are just an example of what our regional organisations can do when given the opportunity to innovate and succeed, and I will continue to do everything I can to support jobs and innovation in our region. But we need the government to match their rhetoric here and fund Plan Echidna.

My electorate has a long history of stepping up to serve our nation during times of conflict. The Men from Snowy River march is a source of pride for a high country communities and forms part of our national identity. The march left Delegate for Goulburn on 6 January 1916 with 14 members. Their aim was to go from town to town, picking up new recruits to travel to France and fight in the Great War. A crowd gathered in Delegate as these brave young men began their march, and the women of the village had sewn a large banner to accompany them on their journey. It was this banner that drew me to the Australian War Memorial in the lead-up to Anzac Day this year. These precious threads of red, white and blue are being kept safe and sound by the amazing team working at the War Memorial Annex near Ainslie. The march passed through the towns of Bombala, Nimmitabel, Cooma, Bunyan, Bredbo, Michelago, Queanbeyan, Bungendore and Tarago before reaching Goulburn—a 354-kilometre journey. Their numbers swelled from the original 14 to 144 men and boys. Tragically, of the 144 men, 39 were killed in action on the Western Front and another 75 were seriously wounded. It is only all these decades later that we are beginning to have a sense of the trauma of those who made it home.

Ernest Albert Corey of Numeralla was one of the Men from Snowy River. Corporal Corey is perhaps the most decorated soldier who enlisted as part of the march. He was awarded three bars to his initial Military Medal, all for work as a stretcher bearer on the Western Front. In May 1971, Ernest Corey was interviewed at his nursing home in Queanbeyan, where he voiced pride at being awarded four gallantry awards for saving lives rather than taking them. You would be mistaken for thinking that the service, spirit and commitment evident in the Men from Snowy River was only of that time, but I see the goodness of Mr Corey and those who marched with him every day in communities right across my electorate. In these challenging times, I ask those listening to consider the contribution they can make to build on the legacy of the Men from Snowy River.

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