Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to commend the member from Eden-Monaro for her recognition of some of those who have served our country in her electorate. I think that right across this country we all have in our electorates many men and women—including Indigenous people—who have served our nation with distinction over the past 100 years. I am very pleased to support this motion by the member for Stirling on our defence industry.

I am happy to note that the government is investing some $575 billion in defence over the next decade, including $270 billion in capability. Defence is a major partner of Australian industry, offering broad opportunities to be involved with the cutting-edge technology and innovative capability which support our national and strategic interests. The government's $270 billion investment in our capability is creating jobs and opportunities for business across Australia. Our continued investment guarantees that the men and women of the Australian Defence Force receive the defence capability they need to keep Australians safe.

One of the businesses in my electorate that is benefiting from this program is Holmwood Highgate, an outstanding business that creates defence capability and employment opportunities. Holmwood Highgate has grown from a simple operation on the outskirts of Brisbane in the 1950s to a globally recognised name in bulk liquid tankers. Homewood Highgate recently received $1 million from the federal government under the 2020 Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority grant program, which enabled them to enhance their ability to manufacture bulk liquid transport equipment serving the commercial, aviation and defence industries.

Recently I had the pleasure of joining the CEO, Wade Mellish, and the team at Holmwood Highgate as they signed a $30 million contract with Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles to deliver fuel and water modules that will be fitted to the defence fleet of logistics trucks. These are a product that was entirely developed and built at Holmwood Highgate. I had the pleasure of visiting Holmwood Highgate several times over the past few months and I am delighted that Wade and his team have succeeded in securing this contract, which will support the already 150 jobs at their manufacturing facility at Loganholme. They are also looking to continue to grow that business, and one of their constraints is actually getting more welders, fitters and turners to build more of the product that they are making so well.

Wade shared with me that over 80 per cent of the materials they use in manufacturing these fuel and water modules for Defence are procured within the south-east corner of Queensland, providing flow-on benefits to our local businesses. I think that is one of the things that is often not appreciated. We see the headline numbers of $30 million here and $50 million there for this, but, whilst the flow-on benefits of those programs might go to a company like Holmwood Highgate, it's the range of people in our local business community in South-East Queensland and in other parts of Australia as well who actually benefit from these programs because they are part of that supply chain to businesses like Holmwood Highgate.

This is not the first time that Holmwood Highgate has secured a Defence contract. They previously secured more than $108 million worth of work supporting phase 3B of the Defence's LAND 121 program. The LAND 121 program is a multiphase project providing the ADF with current-generation and high-capability field vehicles, modules and trailers. Approximately 7½ thousand protected and unprotected vehicles, providing better field mobility, logistics support and tactical training will be procured. Holmwood Highgate's new contract will support new modules for additional trucks being delivered under the LAND 121 phase 5B part of the project. Their rugged military standard bulk water tank modules are built according to— (Time expired)

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