Michael Danby (Melbourne Ports, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Friday I was fortunate to go with the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research to see Boeing's latest long-range twin-engine aircraft, the Dreamliner, in Melbourne at Tullamarine airport. It may have been its first time in Australia but not all of the aircraft's parts are in this country for the first time. That is because four per cent of the aircraft—the composite moveable trailing-edge wing surfaces—are manufactured at Boeing's Australian Fisherman's Bend plant in my electorate and shipped for assembly to Boeing's US factory.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner will be the world's first commercial aircraft made mostly of composite materials. It will use 20 per cent less fuel per passenger than similar planes, produce fewer carbon emissions and have quieter take-offs and landings. Australia should be very proud of the research and development that has led Boeing Aerostructures Australia to win billion dollar contracts in design, manufacture and export wing-trailing edge devices such as flaps, ailerons and spoilers, supporting Australia's manufacturing and helping create more jobs.

There will be 1,000 of these planes produced, and it is wonderful to see an Australian manufacturing enterprise that will be able to use leading edge technology. If Boeing produces 3,000 of them, which I hope they eventually will, all of those jobs will come to Australia for four per cent of the manufacturing. Congratulations to the Boeing Dreamliner.