Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Space Activities Amendment (Launches and Returns) Bill 2018. Labor supports this bill, which has been introduced on the back of a government review of the Space Activities Act 1998 which was concluded in November 2016. The Space Activities Amendment (Launches and Returns) Bill 2018 aims to modernise our laws pertaining to commercial and scientific space activities.

The space activities this bill aims to modernise are launches from Australian territories, Australian launches from overseas jurisdictions, launches of Australian owned payloads, usually satellites, returns of vehicles from outer space, and for the first time launches of rockets from aircraft or launches of high-powered rockets.

It is important we modernise the act in order to capture some of the global expenditure in the space industry, which is growing at nearly 10 per cent per annum. From their research report on 13 November 2017:

Morgan Stanley estimates that the revenue generated by the global space industry will increase to $1.1 trillion or more in 2040, up from $350 billion in 2016.

Modern nation-states like Australia are more dependent on space derived services and data than we may think. In their white paper released on March 2017, the Space Industry Association of Australia note that:

For over 60 years space has played an important role in national affairs and our international relations. The Australian economy and the lives of every day Australians are underpinned by space-based technologies. Space derived data and services provided by a combination of government and privately owned systems have increasingly become embedded into the fabric of modern life providing the communications, geolocation and timing services upon which millions of individuals and businesses rely each day. These data and services are parts of the critical infrastructure which enables our modern society to function. They include satellite positioning and communication services, as well as satellite earth-observation and astronomy capabilities.

They go on to point out that:

Without space technologies:

They're all important functions that the association pointed out regarding Australia's activities in space.

It can be easy to overlook the space technology involved when it encompasses our day-to-day activities. It is also hard to comprehend how our lives will be improved in the future with the advancements in space technology. That is what is at the heart of this bill. It aims to reduce barriers to the participation in the space industry by streamlining approval processes and insurance requirements for launches and returns. It provides that the insurance required for each authorised launch or return will be specified in subordinate legislation, the rules, noting that the amount will not exceed $100 million. This represents a significant reduction from the former requirement of the act of an amount no less than $750 million or maximum probable loss and is consistent with comparable requirements in other nations. Stakeholders have long pointed to the current legislative rules as being an impediment to both the development of launch facilities in Australia and greater participation in the emerging commercial space sector by Australian industry.

That being said, stakeholders were seeking a broader rewrite to this legislation than has been brought forward by the government. Melissa de Zwart, who is a professor at the Adelaide Law School at the University of Adelaide and a member of the advisory council of the Space Industry Association of Australia stated in her opinion piece published in The Conversation and many other news outlets on 12 June 2018:

More than a year after the legislative proposal paper was released by the DIIS, the Space Activities Amendment (Launches and Returns) Bill 2018 received its second reading in the House of Representatives on May 30, 2018, with little fanfare or coverage.

Despite the lengthy period of consultation and the initial statements that an entirely new act would be drafted, this is a revision of already existing legislation. It does little to inspire confidence in the government's approach to the Australian commercial space industry.

Professor de Zwart went on to say:

As noted above, the changes to the Act are dwarfed by the content that is merely left in place. Operators previously complained of an Act that is vague, difficult to navigate, and with prohibitive compliance costs.

Most of the changes embodied within the bill are merely in name only. A "Space Licence" becomes a "Facility Licence" with the only substantive reduction in pre-licence compliance being that the licence is no longer restricted to corporations.

The "Overseas Launch Licence" is renamed the "Overseas Payload Permit", but is not matched with any substantive changes. This would see an Australian who wishes to launch a rocket overseas need a payload permit to launch their rocket.

Further, and of significant concern to commercial operators considering whether they should base their operations in Australia or move offshore, is the requirement for all permits to "include a strategy for debris mitigation".

She then went on to say:

It is not clear what form this should take or how stringently this must comply, for example, with standards such as Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

The professor's commentary on this bill is pretty devastating. It was a typical contribution by stakeholders who aired their concerns in a quite comprehensive way. They have been concerned with the government's half-baked attempt of just amending the Space Activities Act 1998, given the degree of review, the input from stakeholders and the length of time spent.

To touch on further comments from stakeholders, there are common themes within the feedback. The bill simply updates much of the terminology and most of the changes are in name only. Operators have previously complained of an act that is vague, is difficult to navigate and has prohibitive compliance costs. They've also noted that an earlier Department of Industry, Innovation and Science recommendation to completely replace the existing legislation rather than amending it has been rejected by the government, and that's why we've got this bill that largely amends an existing act. Of significant concern to commercial operators considering whether they should base their operations in Australia or move offshore is the requirement for a strategy on debris mitigation. It's really unclear from this act how closely applicants must apply to these new standards—in particular, its relationship with the Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. So there are some questions for the government to answer in their interactions with industry post this bill passing the House.

The bill also fails to regulate Australian activities while in outer space, as required by the United Nations Outer Space Treaty. Finally, from the common themes in the stakeholders' feedback: the role of the new Australian Space Agency in administering this legislation is unclear. Due to the stakeholder feedback, the Senate referred the Space Activities Amendment (Launches and Returns) Bill 2018 to the Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry and report, which was presented on 13 August 2018, which is stunning efficiency for the other place. The one recommendation from the committee was that the bill be passed, and that was backed by Labor senators. The Labor senators recommended that the Senate support the bill, noting its deficiencies and the lack of clarification from the government in a number of areas.

As to my home state of South Australia: everybody will pitch for their home states, I suppose, in these activities. I do think space is a great national and international endeavour. But each state has its own proud history, and I do want to just touch on South Australia's contribution to our nation's progress in this area—in particular, the WRESAT, which is the Weapons Research Establishment Satellite. It was Australia's first satellite, developed in Salisbury in my electorate. It was launched at Woomera in South Australia on 29 November 1967. That made Australia the third country to design and launch a satellite—an incredible contribution, I think, to our national progress. My father had sold electronics into the WRE. Its successor, the DST Group, now occupies that site and continues that great tradition in South Australia, in making a contribution not just to our space industry but to our national defence. I think that is an important thing to acknowledge.

South Australia hopes to play its role in this national endeavour along with other states. It is important to note that both the Labor leader, Peter Malinauskas, and the Premier, Steven Marshall, are committed to South Australia playing a leading role in the advancement in the space sector, because they have both adopted, in their title and portfolio, industry responsibilities for the space industry. So Labor understands, at both a state and federal level, the immense opportunity that Australia has in taking giant leaps in the space industry in that area.

In government, Labor secured the hosting rights for the Square Kilometre Array, which is the biggest global astronomy project of this generation and a multibillion-dollar international investment in Australian based infrastructure. We recently announced our policy for a Shorten Labor government. That might be closer than anybody expects, given the events of this week, so it's important that we have policy out there in this area. We will invest $51 million in an Australian space industry plan, to promote the development of the Australian space industry, including establishing the Australian space science and industry agency, which will drive investment and coordinate the activities of state governments, scientists, industry and universities, to boost the opportunities that the global space industry offers.

We will establish a space industry innovation council, which will serve as an advisory board for the agency, develop an industry-wide agenda and allow us to build international confidence in our industry. We will establish a space industry supplier advocate, to open out the opportunities for space industry companies to attract investment and to attract jobs, to be part of that progress. We will have an Australian space industry program, and that will consist of four Australian Research Council space industry research hubs to advance capabilities in emerging areas of industry focused space research and technology. We will have two ARC space industry training centres working with industry in providing 25 industrial PhDs. A Shorten Labor government will also prioritise the establishment of a cooperative research centre in advanced manufacturing and space technology in future funding rounds. That is a plan that industry can have confidence in and that will advance the national interest and, of course, the interests of all those state governments which, understandably, have a great interest in the investment and the jobs that this can provide.

Australia is one of only two OECD nations without its own dedicated space agency. We can't afford to be left behind and that's why we're lending our support to this Australian space industry bill and to the industry more generally. We'll be supporting this bill. It sets out objectives to modernise and update domestic law covering commercial and scientific space activities. We hope that this will provide some certainty going forward. We just wish that the government had been more ambitious—that it would have taken notice of the feedback that was provided through the stakeholder process and been more ambitious for our great country in this area.

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Space Activities Amendment (Launches and Returns) Bill 2018. One of the objects of the bill describes reducing barriers to participation in the space industry for companies in Australia. Australia's relationship with space stretches back more than 60 years. It goes back to the very earliest days of the space age. The International Geophysical Year, 1957, was the year in which Sputnik was launched and when the UK Atomic Weapons Research Establishment had activities in Australia, with high-altitude launches of sounding rockets. It was the very beginning of Australia's participation in the space industry.

Our friends and our allies have come to Australia and seen us as the perfect place from which to look to the heavens. From ELDO to NASA, and from Honeysuckle Creek to Woomera, there has been a procession of entities which have been friends of this country and which have sought to engage in space activities here in Australia. And it made sense. Firstly, we have a unique geography, being located in the East Asian time zone in terms of our longitude and also, in terms of our latitude, looking, as we do, on the southern sky. We're a country with a high degree of education and with a workforce that could support the efforts of the space industry. And we are, of course, in a political sense, a stable democracy, one that was a friend and ally of countries like the United Kingdom and the United States. It meant that we were a place in which to do space activities. It is almost as if, from the very beginning of the space age, it was our destiny as a nation to participate in this field of activity.

It was our destiny then, but it's become our reality today. Indeed, today we have a very strong presence in astronomy. The Square Kilometre Array telescope, which is a multinational scientific endeavour based in Southern Africa and in Western Australia, provides the largest array of radio telescopes that humanity has seen. The Giant Magellan Telescope is one of the large new-age optical telescopes. The Giant Magellan Telescope will be based in Chile, but Australia is a 10-per-cent stakeholder in it through the ANU.

Going back there was the Anglo-Australian Observatory, which began in 1974, so it's into its fifth decade. It is still one of the five top-performing optical telescopes in the world today, and that includes the Hubble Space Telescope. And Tidbinbilla, just on the outskirts of Canberra, forms part of NASA's Deep Space Network.

I say all of this because our history in space activities has led to a large present list of activities in astronomy which, in turn, make astronomy and space part of our national expertise. This is an area in which we should be active, and it's an area where we should play a bigger role as a nation. And yet institutionalising that role in terms of Australia's governments has in fact been a difficult road.

In 1959, the Australian national committee recommended the establishment of a space research proposal, which ultimately did not go ahead. In 1968, the Weapons Research Establishment that I mentioned earlier also came up with a proposal for engaging in space research, which again was rejected by government. In 1970, there was a proposal for an Australian space research agency, which was again knocked back by government. The Hawke government established the Australian Space Office. The Howard government removed it. The Rudd government established the Australian Space Research Program. The Abbott government removed that. There has been a long and difficult history in trying to establish an Australian government role in respect of space. It's what makes this particular moment in time so significant.

On 15 March this year, Labor announced that a Labor government would establish the Australian Space, Science and Industry Agency, which would be an Australian space agency. On 14 May this year, the government announced that it intended to create the Australian Space Agency—which it did—from 1 July this year, with Megan Clark as its first CEO. That should say something about Megan. Megan is a former CEO of the CSIRO. She is not only an esteemed Australian scientist but an esteemed Australian science administrator. There is no-one better to be leading the inaugural Australian Space Agency than Megan Clark. What it means at this moment in time is that, for the first time, we have genuine bipartisan support for an Australian government space agency that seeks to promote a bigger role for Australia in the space industry. Obviously, the legislation that we are debating this evening forms part of that.

The industry is a big one. It is now estimated to be $420 billion globally but, by 2040, it's estimated that the industry will grow to $1.1 trillion. It is a remarkable amount of money. The sad stat for companies—at this point in time, at least—is that Australia's share of that global industry is only 0.8 per cent. Given our history, our expertise and the nature of our economy, we should be batting higher than that. It's why it's really important that we now have a bipartisan approach to space through an Australian space agency and through this legislation, so that we can promote a much greater Australian role in this industry.

The industry today is very different to what was going on back in 1957. Back then, the activity of engaging with space was so large that only a government could attempt it and so it was almost entirely an activity that was in the public domain. Today that is very different. We are now in a world where space has become much more accessible, where there are far smaller satellites being put into space—CubeSats, as they are described—with more options in terms of being able to launch those satellites into space. New Zealand now has a launch site at Mahia on the North Island of New Zealand. There are a range of options for getting these much smaller satellites into space, which in turn do a whole range of global observations and participate in connectivity. They are a huge part of the industry.

A big difference now compared to 1957 is that, whereas back then almost the entire engagement with space was done publicly, now three-quarters of the industry is in the private sector. The role for an Australian space agency, the role for legislation of this kind, has to be about encouraging private Australian companies to engage in this very large global industry and to be playing a much bigger role in it. That is actually a very different vision of engaging with space than was had 60 years ago, when Australia first started its participation in space. That said, the skills that we picked up in those 60 years exist within both our public and private sectors and so, done right, place us in a very good position as a nation to participate in this industry.

Of course, this industry is also burgeoning now in the private sector because of an absolute understanding about the role that space plays in our everyday lives. Back in the fifties and sixties, it was an exotic activity which described the furthest frontiers of the human experience; today, it is the backbone of our telecommunications sector and, in many respects, it is the backbone of global interconnectivity through the internet and the internet of things. As shadow defence minister, I can say it plays an incredibly important role in the connectivity of the way in which our armed forces engaged in their business. So the role that space plays is not just there on the margins but absolutely central to the way in which we are living our lives today—and that is why the industry is growing at such a significant rate.

This bill, as I said, makes it easier to participate in the space industry. It does so by streamlining a number of processes, particularly around reducing the insurance burden on those participating within the industry. It also increases penalties for those engaging in the space industry in an unlicensed way. There is some criticism that the bill is not broader in its statement of purpose. Given the moment that we are in, we think there was opportunity here to have a more expansive statement of purpose. Nor is the role of the Australian Space Agency in respect of the operation and oversight of this legislation made clear. It is also not clear in the legislation how Australia engages with its obligations under a range of international treaties such as the UN Outer Space Treaty. That said, it is a first step down a path that, as a nation, we need to travel. In that sense, it is very important that it passes this parliament.

For all that, there is a final reason why, in my view, it is so important that we become more engaged in space. I was in year 10 in 1982, which means I was born in 1967. I had just turned two when Neil Armstrong first stepped on the moon. I don't remember it, but the backdrop of my education was very much the activities of Apollo, which were deeply inspiring—and hugely public. It wasn't just a scientific endeavour; it was a matter of popular culture. Not surprisingly, 1982 is the peak of the graph of those making a decision to study science, as I did. I pursued science from that time through to completing a science degree at the University of Melbourne. From 1982 until now, the number of children at school deciding to study science has been on the decline.

Big science is really important in terms of inspiring people to study science—and that's what Apollo was. But we have big science going on right now—through the square kilometre array telescope and through the giant Magellan telescope, which I mentioned earlier. There is the likelihood that, by the end of the 2020s, we will be able to see planets elsewhere in the universe which have biomarkers in their atmospheres. That is a pretty significant moment. It is not a moment when we will be able to communicate with life elsewhere in the universe. It is not a moment when we will know exactly what that life is or whether it exists now—because the information is thousands of light years away, so what we will be seeing happened thousands of years ago. But, between now and 2030, it is likely that the question of whether we are alone in the universe will be answered. That is a profound moment in the human experience, yet we do not see the square kilometre array on the front page of our newspapers, nor what is going on with the giant Magellan telescope. Indeed, it baffles me that this is not something that forms a bigger part of our popular culture. As a nation we desperately need to change our cultural relationship with science. It has to become something more mainstream in terms of what's reported and, particularly, what our kids digest. Engagement in space, I think, is central to that. It is a deeply inspiring activity and it can play a huge role in encouraging more of our young people to take up science, because infusing our economy with science and technology is not just an imperative; in my view it is the single most important piece of microeconomic reform facing Australia today. If we do not climb the technological ladder, we will find countries around us doing it at a much faster rate and we will be doing things very differently in the second half of the country, as a nation in the global economy, than we are doing now. Science matters. Space has a really important role in encouraging more Australians to pursue science. With that I support the bill.

Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The future is going to be awesome, and that is the basis on which I support the Space Activities Amendment (Launches and Returns) Bill 2018. It enables this country to engage more proactively in the potential of the horizons beyond us and in the wonderful world of space for whatever we choose to do. We know that the global space economy is now worth some $450 billion. That's measured in dollars; but the horizon of opportunities in what the space industry provides us, in technology, in science, in the pursuit of what we can achieve as people, is so much greater and is so exciting. We are an industrious nation of scientists, entrepreneurs and innovators, all of whom have so much to offer in the boundless frontiers of the commercial space industry. It is incredibly exciting what we as a nation can achieve, not just for ourselves, but for the future of the world and humanity in pursuing that ambition.

Space activity has of course traditionally been housed in governments and space agencies, thus subject to the inflexibility of budget considerations and, more importantly, limitations. In the 21st century the space industry will reach its next chapter, one which will see the power of the market unshackled from the burdens of the public sector through fierce competition, through private enterprise, to see the boundless potential of what can be achieved beyond our atmosphere. We'll see space hubs accelerate to a new level of ingenuity. The space sector is growing at a rate of more than 10 per cent per annum. The potential of this industry is incredible for us, for our country, for the world. We are just getting started. We have so much potential as a country because of the natural bounty we have, whether it's because of the role of the fuels, the technology and the minerals that enable us to be able to build up an industry of the future, but also because we have those innovators and scientists who can harness their intellectual power to build with the natural resources of this continent a space industry to take the potential of this country off the ground and into the atmosphere.

Already over 70 space start-ups have emerged as domestic and international investment is rushing in. We have the energy, human capital and courage to create a space hub driven by commerce and industrialism to take, not just the industry of the early part of the 20th century, not just the development of the service sectors that have profoundly transformed our economy in the late 20th century and earlier part of the 21st century, but to combine them for the potential for a mid- and late-21st-century industry.

Our space industry employs nearly 11,000 people and is worth $4 billion a year now. But it is only a beginning of what we can realise as a people in the future. There is no reason those numbers shouldn't multiply into the future. A new government space agency will be a significant moment for our country in contributing to that process, because we need the commercial industries and government to be working hand in hand. We have an obligation to ensure that the commercial regulatory environment is sound enough to allow private enterprise to flourish but, more critically, to work with many of the other businesses and space agencies that operate across the world. This bill supports the changing nature and growth of that industry by streamlining and simplifying licencing and insurance requirements. We are getting the dead hand of red tape out of the way so Australia's space innovators can fully unleash their growing capability and compete on the global stage. I just say to the members of the opposition who are scoffing right now: the future is going to be awesome, and we're bringing it about as part of this Turnbull government.

Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I really enjoyed the comments from the member for Goldstein. I might reflect on them a little later. I also enjoyed the earlier comments by the member for Corio, who pointed out the importance of big science and big science projects not only across Australia but across the globe. That's why it's important that Australia does participate in significant and large public science projects that can inspire the young people of today to undertake science and mathematics subjects at our secondary schools and universities across the country.

I'll turn to speak on the Space Activities Amendment (Launches and Returns) Bill 2018, which is hot on the heels of the Prime Minister's announcement of the Australian Space Agency. I commend the government on their interest in levelling the domestic playing field in this space as well as on making a start on a regulatory framework in which this industry can function, particularly as a result of this bill. However, as per usual, it'll be interesting to see how much detail has gone into this bill, given the government's historic Han Solo-type of attitude of shooting from the hip first and asking questions later. This check-up will take the form of a Senate legislative inquiry and a report, which I look forward to reading at a not-so-far-away time.

I will backtrack for a second here and take a look at some of the context surrounding this bill before I go on to the specifics. Before the creation of the Australian Space Agency, we were one of only two OECD countries to not have a federal agency entirely dedicated to the space industry—the other being Iceland. To the north of our country, Indonesia has a space agency. In Africa, Nigeria has a space agency, and even North Korea claims to have a space agency. We have truly lagged behind for too long in this respect. However, we have not been drifting in space doing nothing entirely all this time.

Australia has an extremely proud history in the space industry. We have been at the forefront of many of humanity's impressive feats in the great unknown. If we can reflect on the famous dish in Parkes, New South Wales, that was the beating heart of Australia's fledgling space industry. It's been a crucial part of Australian space operations for nearly 60 years and, of course, immortalised in that great movie The Dish. It has studied some of the most distant entities in our galaxy and beyond. It's still far beyond the range of conventional instruments of its time. It helped Apollo 13 make it home against massive odds and brought the very first moon landing into the lounge rooms of the world. Of course, it's not just The Dish. In my very own state of Western Australia, industry and academic leaders are constructing the square kilometre array low-frequency radio telescope, one of the world's largest public science data projects. It's happening in Murchison, north of Perth, where our clear skies are the envy of the world.

Labor proudly fought for funding for this. It was first funded under a Labor government in this place, but it has been a bipartisan effort, and I'm very happy to say so. The Liberal state government run by Colin Barnett was an enthusiastic supporter of the Square Kilometre Array bid, that Australia then launched out of Western Australia, and then set up the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research at the University of Western Australia and Curtin University. The Square Kilometre Array project is one of the biggest global astronomy projects of our generation. It represents a multibillion-dollar international investment in Australian infrastructure, and it's happening in the great state of Western Australia.

In 2025, Australians will also be proud to say we contributed significantly to the world's largest optical observatory, the Giant Magellan Telescope, which is another significant public science project. I might add, while I'm reflecting on these two projects—especially the Square Kilometre Array—that there is the importance of the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre in Bentley. It is one of the largest supercomputers of the world and is funded by governments of both types in this place. Also, the state governments have broad bipartisan support for the importance of investing in large supercomputing efforts. It is how we keep up with the rest of the world in science, data and data processing. I congratulate the incoming CEO of the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre, Mr Mark Stickells, who's someone I've worked with for a long time at the Energy and Minerals Institute at the University of Western Australia. Congratulations, Mark. You'll do a great job, and Pawsey does such an amazing job in processing the extraordinary amount of data that comes out of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research and the Square Kilometre Array in the Murchison.

We have many examples of proud Australian achievements in the space industry, but they are spread apart. They're a bit decentralised and they're not able to light the way for future projects without outside help. The creation of the Australian Space Agency will greatly assist with this. I'd like to put in my two cents worth about the WA proposal to host the Australian Space Agency. Of course I would do that: I am a proud Western Australian, and a number of members in this House would back me up on this bid. It's a very important application. Clear blue skies, our fabulous weather and the expanse and range of geographic possibilities afford an opportunity like no other for Western Australia and for science in Western Australia. The bid has been spearheaded by the WA Minister for Science, Mr Dave Kelly. Western Australia's bid for the agency has been summed up in a report commissioned by WA's Chief Scientist, Professor Peter Klinken, another great Western Australian scientist whom I've had the very great pleasure of working with over the years. Professor Klinken concluded that WA's capability in the development and use of space derived application is very substantial. I would say it's unmatched. This, paired with WA's successful partnership with the European Space Agency, as well as NASA in myriad projects over the past several decades, proves that WA is best placed to take on the opportunity that could provide a significant economic boost to a state that needs it and is best placed to deliver.

To elaborate, the Western Australian state government has been working hard in connecting business, academics and industry, bringing them together on an unprecedented scale in this space. The oil and gas giant Woodside has a five-year partnership with NASA to explore the possibilities of remote operation and automation. I will quote directly from Professor Klinken's report on space industry capability in WA. He said:

This collaboration promotes the exchange of knowledge and expertise. NASA is benefitting from Woodside's experience in remote operation in harsh environments and Woodside is benefitting from NASA's experience in automation and the human robot interface.

I was very pleased to visit the centre at Woodside where they have their NASA robot and excellent staff and researchers around them, supporting the work of automation. It's a very dangerous environment. Having some automation saves humans from going into dangerous space to check on very dangerous conditions. I'm proud to say that the leader of that Woodside centre is a graduate of Kwinana Senior High School in my electorate. I wish them well in the science they are doing at Woodside, in the Perth CBD. It is very exciting stuff. It sometimes feels like it's straight out of a science fiction book, but it is a reality and it's happening in WA.

At the same time, Woodside is also working with Cisco, Curtin University and Data61 in data analytics, the machine learning program known as Innovation Central. Beyond Curtin, there's also the University of Western Australia. The Frequency and Quantum Metrology Research Group is working on the Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space mission for the European Space Agency, and the Microelectronics Research Group at UWA is conducting world-leading research in the innovative combination of microelectromechanical systems with infrared sensor technology for fourth-generation infrared systems. I was very pleased to visit the Microelectronics Research Group at UWA recently. I had a fantastic tour to see the quite remarkable things they're achieving. At Edith Cowan University, the Robotics and Autonomous Systems Group is investigating different applications of deep-learning approaches for send and control methods. At Murdoch University—and this is really quite cool—they're developing a research program aimed at creating drones capable for use on Mars. They're making use of those technologies so that we can explore the harsh environments of distant planets and moons in our own solar system, which is not unlike exploring the wild outback areas of Western Australia, so it's the perfect place to mimic testing.

As well as the creation of a national agency, this bill will assist with centralising and regulating the industry in Australia. Indeed, its very objective is to modernise and update Australian domestic law covering commercial and scientific space activities. I do note the comments of the member for Goldstein earlier. He talked of the critical importance of private enterprise and how, somehow, with this bill private enterprise will be unleashed to do all the work in this space, but you've just heard me recount the work being done at public institutions around this country. I've just told you about the Western Australian institutions and I know there is work being done at universities around the country, so I implore the member for Goldstein and others on the other side; for this work to continue, you really need to maintain the support funding for our great institutions—the universities, especially the research-intensive universities—rather than take every opportunity to cut their funding and skimp on their science. It is very important. You cannot have science like the Australian Space Agency tries to—and it's great that it is trying to do that—without properly funding science and research in this country, and without properly funding universities.

The scope of this bill is extensive, but it doesn't need to cover solar systems. It covers launches from Australian territory, Australian launches from overseas jurisdictions, returns of vehicles from space, launches of Australian payloads, which are usually satellites, and—and this is quite exciting—launches of rockets from aircraft or launches of other high-powered rockets. This is an Australian first. The current regulatory and oversight systems needed an overhaul, and I'm pleased to see that this bill makes a number of changes in this regard.

I might run through them briefly. It reduces barriers to participation in the industry by streamlining approvals and insurance required for launches and returns, making things easier for established players and providing incentives for newer, smaller business and academic ventures. The bill provides that insurance required for each individual authorised launch or return will be specified in the rules, noting that each amount will not exceed the $100 million threshold. This is important as it is a significant reduction from the former requirement of the act of an amount of not less than an eye-watering $750 million. This is comparable with similar requirements in other nations.

It's worth noting that this bill is updating the original Space Activities Act 1998, which was one of the very first examples of a domestic law that was focused on commerce. It was prompted by Kistler Aerospace's plans to establish a spaceport at Woomera. Sadly, this did not eventuate. However, there is new hope. There are proposals in place to establish launch facilities across the country. One of them, Equatorial Launch Australia, is located in East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, expanding and diversifying employment opportunities and industry in the region. As well as this, there is an uptick in commercial interest in the launch of CubeSats, small satellites used for a range of applications.

This bill will see a flood of interest in the return of stakeholders. Indeed, many stakeholders have previously pointed to the current act and its regulations as a roadblock to development and investment in launch facilities in Australia, and the vast majority have indicated their support for the new proposals. However, they are keen for the bill to have a greater depth and scope that will seek to make the Australian space industry the brightest star in the solar system.

Many of these questions and commentaries do include the fact that this bill simply updates terminology and makes superficial name changes and many amendments. These operators have previously made the complaint that the original act was too vague, more difficult to navigate than an asteroid field and disincentivises with unnecessary compliance costs. I'm sure they would hate for this bill to be too similar to the act itself, and we want to avoid at all costs an Attack of the Clones-type situation! One of the most significant concerns held by stakeholders was the requirement for all permits to include a strategy of debris mitigation. There is a lack of clarity on compliance with this regulation as to how closely it aligns with the space debris mitigation guidelines of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

So, as you can see, it's a very wide-ranging piece of legislation. It's a wide-ranging industry that needs to deal with many complex matters. The bill tries. It might have to go further, and we look forward to more work being done in that regard to develop the space industry. We hope that the short Senate inquiry will bring the bill further into the light and show us more so we can assess the impact of the bill in its entirety. A short Senate inquiry should not unduly block the timely passage of this bill through parliament. It is an important bill. It's important to get moving on the Australian Space Agency. It's important to promote science in our community, to encourage young people and all people from around the country to think about science and maths as careers, and to develop great public science projects which will come out of an Australian space agency. That will be one of the good things that this parliament can do for the further and better development of this nation. I thank the House.

Gai Brodtmann (Canberra, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a great pleasure to speak tonight on the Space Activities Amendment (Launches and Returns) Bill 2018. Those listening in the chamber and in the galleries today will hear that once again it's a fabulous opportunity to spruik Canberra and its expertise in space and why we should continue to be the home of the Australian Space Agency. We are currently, but it's temporary under this government. We've made a commitment that, should a Shorten Labor government be elected, the Space Agency will be based here. That's yet another reason why we should elect a Shorten Labor government at the next election.

It is a wonderful opportunity to speak very briefly on this bill and also to spruik the many, many reasons why we need significant investment in space here in Canberra, not just basing the space agency here permanently—as I said, Labor has a made a commitment to do that already, should we win government—but also to make significant investment in the ACT, because, really, we are the experts. We are the experts in this nation. We are the stars when it comes to knowledge, research and history in this area, and the money should be invested here. But I will go into more detail on that shortly.

Labor agrees to support the bill but notes that a decision on any amendments in the Senate will be subject to the findings of a Senate legislative inquiry. There were stakeholders involved in the production of this bill who were seeking a broader re-write of this legislation than has been brought forward by the government. They made specific comments and queries on the fact that the bill simply updates much of the terminology and most of the changes are in name only. Operators have previously complained of an act that is vague, difficult to navigate and with prohibitive compliance costs; also that an earlier Department of Innovation, Industry and Science recommendation to replace the existing legislation rather than amending it was rejected. Also of concern to commercial operators who were considering whether they should base their operations in Australia or move offshore was the requirement for all permits to include a strategy for debris mitigation. It's unclear how closely these new standards must comply, for example, with standards such as the Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. The bill also fails to regulate Australians' activities while in outer space, as required in the United Nations Outer Space Treaty. Also—and I think this is vitally important—the bill doesn't make the role of the new Australian Space Agency in administering this legislation clear at all. So, as I said, Labor is agreeing to support the bill but notes that a decision on any amendments in the Senate will be subject to the findings of a Senate legislative inquiry.

I turn to my beloved Canberra. For all those listening, I'm warning you now this is going to be a shameless sales exercise on why there should be significant investment on the space front in Canberra and why those opposite should, like Labor, make a commitment to base the Australian Space Agency in Canberra.

Almost one in four Australian space sector jobs is already in Canberra—one-quarter of them. We are the home of the next generation of researchers, engineers and scientists that will support the future growth of the industry. With the global space industry now worth A$420 billion per year and growing by 10 per cent each year, the Australian Space Agency is a welcome addition to our very comprehensive network of research institutions, national security institutions, international engagement institutions, innovation institutions, knowledge based institutions and, of course, transmission institutions and outfits.

Every Commonwealth stakeholder except the Bureau of Meteorology is based in Canberra. National policy agencies such as the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Attorney-General's Department and the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science are based in Canberra, and that provides the opportunity for effective, ongoing collaboration with the Australian Space Agency. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and 80 embassies and high commissions are located in Canberra, and close relationships with our international network will be the key to the success of the Australian Space Agency's international engagement.

Space policy is also absolutely crucial to the success of the Space Agency, as are our international engagement, our innovation, our research, the transmission and the collaboration on this issue. The dual-use nature of many space technologies means that even seemingly benign civil and commercial initiatives will require coordination with the national security community, and such connections will require coordination through the Department of Defence, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the national security agencies, which are all based here in Canberra.

In addition, Canberra provides a compelling enabling environment for the Australian Space Agency. We have a high concentration of space industry organisations with extensive technological capability. Here we go. Here is the list. We've got those government agencies. We've got the international agencies. We've got the national security agencies. And we've got these capabilities in so many different areas. The Australian National Concurrent Design Facility for Space Missions, at the University of New South Wales Canberra, and the Australian National University national space test facilities provide Australia's only end-to-end facilities for the design, building and testing of spacecraft. Geoscience Australia's Satellite-Based Augmentation System, National Positioning Infrastructure capability and Digital Earth are all managed in Canberra and supported by the National Computational Infrastructure, at the Australian National University, which recently received an additional $70 million in Commonwealth funding for maintaining Australia's tier 1 HPC capability.

The list goes on. The CSIRO Centre for Earth Observation is headquartered here in Canberra, and that will be a catalyst for engagement with Australian businesses, government agencies and research organisations. The Space Environment Research Centre, located at Mount Stromlo, combined with EOS space systems, makes Canberra a leader in space situational awareness and debris monitoring. The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex, managed on behalf of NASA by CSIRO, is one of only three NASA deep-space network facilities in the world and currently supports more than 30 deep-space missions. And the Canberra Region Space Industry Capability Directory lists Canberra region based space companies such as QLabs, who do quantum computing work—extraordinary. We've got Liquid Instruments, Locata, Shoal Group, EOS space systems, Geoplex, Geospatial Intelligence, Clearbox, Equatorial Launch Australia, Viasat, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Airbus Defence and Space.

This is the reason why the Australian Space Agency should be based here in Canberra permanently. As I said, it is a commitment that has been made by Labor, should we win the next election. But also we need to ensure that there is continued significant investment in this because Canberra is top of the pile. We are numero uno when it comes to space expertise in this country—numero uno.

What are we talking about? What is it? Almost one in four space sector jobs are already here in Canberra, and we have all these amazing agencies—internationally renowned and having expertise in so many different areas—based here in Canberra, as well as our national security agencies, our international engagement agencies, the CSIRO, Geoscience Australia, the Australian National University and UNSW Canberra. It's a very, very long list there.

And it's not just that we've got these amazing institutions, this amazing research capability and amazing infrastructure. We've got the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development. It has responsibility for positioning, navigation and timing in the transport sector and space. There is the Department of the Environment and Energy, which is responsible for environment management through Earth observation. The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources has responsibility for agricultural production, also through Earth observation technologies. And, as I said, there are the national security agencies: the Australian Signals Directorate, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Cyber Security Centre. I attended that recently, last week, when it was officially launched in its new location by the Prime Minister, the defence minister and the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cyber Security. I thank those opposite for including me in that invitation. National security and cybersecurity issues are largely bipartisan, and so I very much appreciated that bipartisan spirit being shown on that day. Again, I congratulate the government and all those involved in the official opening of the Australian Cyber Security Centre.

Here's hoping that it truly ensures integration between the private and public sectors—that we will see true collaboration and true information-sharing. Unfortunately, despite the best of intentions of everyone at both the Australian Cyber Security Centre level as well as at the national level for that collaborative and threat-sharing environment, that just hasn't happened. So here's hoping that the new facility, that very impressive facility out at Brindabella Park, will realise that real collaboration and cooperation. We actually have to have that for our nation's security and for the economic prosperity of Australia, to ensure that our social DNA, our social fabric, our way of life and our democracy, who we actually are, are protected. That's vitally important.

Just in closing, I've highlighted the education, research and strategic-thinking capacities here in Canberra and I've also highlighted the industry capacity. I've highlighted the many space facilities that we have. They are incredibly impressive and have been working in collaboration with the international community for many years. I also want to talk about the human capital and the actual skill base that we have here in Canberra. These figures make me incredibly proud. They mean that I'm on my toes, particularly when I'm door-knocking—which is, in a way, cold-calling. I need to be on my toes in terms of knowledge of policy, because quite often the people who I'm talking to have actually written the policy.

So they do keep me on my toes, but I feel incredibly honoured and privileged to represent such an extraordinarily engaged and curious community and such an extraordinarily well-educated community. Forty-one per cent of Canberra's adult population holds a bachelor's degree or higher qualification, and that means we are the most highly educated population in the country. The Knowledge City Index of 2017 found that Canberra is the underlying knowledge capital and that through that it has also activated a knowledge economy that sets us apart from other cities in Australia. We're also home to world-class small, medium and large space-related enterprises and high-tech companies. That provides a very fertile environment for innovation opportunities.

As I said, this is a shameless plug for my much-loved national capital, my much-loved Canberra and my much-loved ACT, for us to be the centre of the space industry in this country. We have the Australian Space Agency; we need to make that permanent now. We have these amazing facilities that have been engaging with NASA and the international community for decades. We need to enhance those now. We need to make Canberra our nation's space capital. We need to make Canberra the centre of space expertise in this nation. We have all these abilities—the skills ability, the research ability, the institution ability, the national security ability and the collaborative ability—based here in Canberra. We have the skills. I implore those opposite to listen to the sales pitch, to listen to what the people of the ACT have to say and to make Canberra, our nation's capital, the epicentre of the space universe here in Australia. It's just a small ask. We can begin by making the Australian Space Agency permanently based here in Canberra, as Labor will do.

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

Earlier this month, an astrophysicist, Professor Geraint Lewis, who is a Sydney university professor, held a forum as part of Sydney university's Sydney Ideas. Hundreds and hundreds of people were at that venue in Sydney, all because they are fascinated by the secrets and opportunities that space provides. Professor Lewis expressed the view that we should never have stopped at the moon, because essentially that's what happened. We got to the moon and there was a really long pause. Yes, there has been a bit of activity looking at Mars, but we have never made those same leaps that we made in walking on the moon. That's why this parliament supports this bill.

The Space Activities Amendment (Launches and Returns) Bill 2018 is all about modernising and updating the domestic law covering commercial and scientific space activities, everything from launches from Australian territory, Australian launches from overseas territories, launches of Australian owned payloads—and, of course, those are usually satellites—and the return of vehicles from outer space. Also, for the first time, we have legislation that looks at rockets from aircraft or launches of high-powered rockets. There is a big gap and we've had it for a long time. There is no doubt that this is overdue.

I note that senators have had some opportunity to look at this bill, and Labor senators' comments highlight just how important this is. The classification of our current act as being essentially a failure is probably not far wrong. No company has launched from Australia since the implementation of the Space Activities Act, with the only example of local activity being the 2010 return of the Japanese Hayabusa spacecraft and of course the occasional overseas satellite launch. That shows that we've missed some opportunities and that, without a doubt, there is a real pressing need for reform. Unfortunately, this bill is not the wholesale reform that a lot in the sector have been calling for. It tinkers around the edges. I would think it's pretty clear that parliament will be asked to revisit this sector before too long to take those extra steps.

I noted from the additional comments from Labor senators who were involved in the economics committee inquiry that looked at this bill that there is an understanding that regulation must change as circumstances change. Obviously, the global industry of 2018 is very different to that of 1998. As the review of Australia's space industry capability notes:

Not since humans first walked on the Moon have we seen the global space industry undergo such rapid reinvention.

I was one of those kids who sat at school and watched the first steps on the moon. All of us kids of the sixties remember that particular day in the classroom on the black-and-white TVs that were made available. But the space industry has changed. It has just transformed. No longer is it restricted to government agencies and budgets. Space has become a fast-growing and fiercely competitive commercial sector as the costs of launching things falls and the high levels of private funding continue to push the price of entry lower than it has ever been. And these are good things because we should be thinking about a serious space industry. Certainly on this side of the House Labor is thinking of a serious space industry.

There are people in my own electorate who already can see the enormous opportunities that we have. There are four schools in the Hawkesbury part of my electorate of Macquarie that have received federal funding worth $80,000 to help them blast off their students to Space Camp later this year in the United States. Each school is getting $20,000. That will help a group of students towards the cost. It's a pretty hefty cost to get to Space Camp, but it's a big thing in the electorate because, once a few students go and have that incredible experience, others want to. The schools that are benefitting from that include Richmond North Public School. This is one of the pioneers of Australian kids from my part of the world going to Space Camp. The other schools are Hawkesbury High School and Windsor High School as well as Bede Polding College. These kids are really going to have the chance to dare to dream. For many of the children and their families, this will be the first time they've gone overseas. Some parents go, but most of it is just the kids going. They need teachers to go with them, and there has been a huge commitment by the schools to fundraise to make it possible for these students to go.

All of this is happening in the electorate of Macquarie thanks to an amazing woman called Jackie Slaviero. Jackie is one of the founders of One Giant Leap. Before she got involved in space, she had a diverse and longstanding background in education, working as a teacher for 25 years and then in the Department of Education, analysing the New South Wales school curriculum. Her passion for STEM came from an opportunity to go and take part in Space Camp. That passion for STEM is embedded into the goals of One Giant Leap Australia, which prepares young Australians for the opportunities of the future, enhancing teaching skills for teachers so that they are able to produce more capable students. She is helped by Bob Carter, who has a background in the defence and aviation sectors.

The Space Camp that they are preparing kids to go to at the moment takes place in October. They will be visiting Northrop Grumman headquarters. They'll be at the California Science Center. They'll visit the US Space & Rocket Center. They are going to have the most incredible experience. And apparently they get to go to Disneyland and Universal Studios too. I suppose that's not to be sneezed at!

Jackie has taken more than 300 kids to Space Camp USA and Space Camp Turkey. Both these countries have seen it. Of course, Australia doesn't have its own Space Camp, and that's the vision that Jackie has—that one day we will have a camp in Australia that gives kids the opportunity to really think about the adventures of space. On the camps they take the students on, she says, you can jump off 50-foot rock walls. You can parachute backwards into a lake. You do the simulations they use to train astronauts. For a whole week you do astronaut training. I've spoken to some students from North Richmond Public who have been on Space Camp and, while not all of them now want to be astronauts, it has opened their minds to the possibilities of science and turned something that they might not have been attracted to—that whole world of science—into something that they can't wait to get hold of.

Jackie's dream of Space Camp and a national STEM centre of excellence is something she's working very hard to achieve, and I'm very happy to support her. It's a big project. It requires a lot of money. But she has a vision, and that's what we need. The Hawkesbury would be the perfect location not so much for the space centre but for Jackie's vision of a Space Camp.

Jackie also works with students around drones, recognising that drones are not toys; they are serious pieces of science. She has the need for there to be land on which that activity can be done that doesn't interfere with airspace. So I really want to congratulate Jackie on the work that she is doing.

Of course, we think about space and we think about it just being stuff up in the sky, but I think we forget that space based applications impact our everyday lives. Supermarkets provide fresh fruit and vegetables by using satellite navigation in their delivery fleets to optimise just-in-time deliveries. ATMs and other credit card application authorisation processes need satellite based timing synchronisation. Mobile phone conversations require that synchronisation. Emergency and disaster relief response relies on specialised satellite imagery and communications, because electrical power, cell phone towers and cables can all be damaged. Of course, in the Blue Mountains and the Hawkesbury, that's something that we know is so important. Adaptation to climate change relies on space data. It's actually a science, and we can use science to help tackle it. Transport is being revolutionised today by artificial intelligence, and autonomous and driverless vehicles all rely on satellite navigation enhancements. That's why there is so much opportunity for Australia to be in this space.

Labor wants to double the size of the Australian space industry, which is estimated to be worth $3 billion to $4 billion annually in revenues, within five years of the establishment of a space agency. That's a really significant investment or revenue that you get after a short space of time. We see that it would create around about 10,000 new high-skilled, high-wage jobs in advanced manufacturing, research, earth observation and space technologies.

What are the things that we think need to be part of that? It's all very well to have some legislation that takes us a step further into the 21st century but we would like to see: four Australian Research Council space industry research hubs to advance the capabilities in emerging areas of industry-focused space research and technology; two ARC space industry training centres working with the industry and offering 25 industrial PhDs—these are the sorts of tangible steps we can put in place to equip and skill people; an Australian space science and industry agency, which we announced last year, to ensure that Australia doesn't miss out on the opportunities provided by the rapidly-growing global space industry; and a space industry innovation council to serve as an advisory board for the agency, develop an industry-wide agenda and build international confidence. We also need to make sure we have a space industry supplier advocate to open up opportunities for space industry companies, attracting investment and jobs. All of these things will be prioritised under a Shorten Labor government so that advanced manufacturing and space technology is given the research support that it needs.

These are all very doable things. As a kid in the sixties, watching the first man walk on the moon, it would have been beyond my comprehension—of course, The Jetsons took off and were way ahead of their time. Now we can ground it in science and in fact. Throughout this country, we have people who want to see this happen. This is a good step in the right direction to ensure that we have the framework that's needed to make this industry viable. But there's more we'll do, and more that I'm committed to doing.

Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Medicare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's often said that we live in a global economy, where every country is affected by what happens in another. Indeed, global trading of goods and services has become the norm. Computer technology has made the world a much smaller place in terms of how easily the world's people interact. In a competitive world, it is smart for nations to focus on their strengths. For Australia, the space industry sector opens up considerable natural advantages which will not only drive economic opportunities but, even more importantly, drive research and innovation which will then have community-wide benefits.

The purpose of the Space Activities Amendment (Launches and Returns) Bill 2018 is to ensure safe industry participation and encourage investment and innovation in the space sector. In particular, the bill broadens the regulatory framework to include arrangements for launches from aircraft in flight and launches of high-power rockets. The bill reduces barriers to participation in the space industry by streamlining approval processes and insurance requirements for launches and returns.

This legislation comes at a time that discussions are underway about the location of the head office of the national space agency. It's currently located in the ACT. It is a matter that should be resolved sooner rather than later because, regardless of where the office is located, a national industry sector is important for the nation's future. Space industry research, development and innovation will become increasingly important and Australia cannot afford to be left behind. Indeed, Australia already has an impressive record of contribution to the space industry, and it makes some sense to build on that expertise and experience—expertise and experience that spreads across institutions, universities and government entities throughout the country. Of course that's why each state and territory is laying claim to the national space agency headquarters. The government should get on with making a decision and stop playing the states and territories against each other, as it is currently doing.

I do, however, note that the government has committed $41 million in this year's budget towards a national space agency headquarters. I also note that the headquarters are currently located on a temporary basis here in Canberra. The importance is for a national commitment to a national space agency because, regardless of where the headquarters are located, each state and territory can contribute to the work of that agency. Many different agencies across Australia are already contributing towards the space agency work in other countries and they are doing that very, very well. So there is nothing precluding those with expertise and experience here in this country from contributing to a national program. Indeed, not only is it happening, but if we don't establish a national program, what is likely to happen is that we will lose some of our best scientists from this country, who will undoubtedly move overseas to find the work that they have a passion for.

I notice, in that respect, that the South Australian government has already made considerable inroads towards establishing a space industry in that state. As I understand it, right now, right across Australia, we have a similar sort of contest being waged between Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and even the Northern Territory. The truth of the matter is that whilst a lot of work is being done, Australia's involvement and expertise in space goes right back, particularly in South Australia, to 1947, when the Woomera rocket range was established in that state in conjunction with the British government. Since then, I understand that some 4,000 rockets have been launched from that range. Not only have some 4,000 rockets been launched from that range—rockets and missiles, I should make clear—it continues to be a location that has a future ahead of it if this country makes the investments it needs to in order to support a space industry.

I also note that in 2016 the South Australian Labor government released the Space Innovation and Growth Strategy, which is an action plan for the years 2016 to 2020. It was the first space strategy of any Australian jurisdiction. In 2017 the South Australian government created the South Australian Space Industry Centre to support growing space ecosystems in that state. The South Australian Space Industry Centre is now well positioned to drive space industry innovation, research and entrepreneurial development. It is already home to some 60 space-related organisations.

So I make the point that South Australia alone has, for the past 70 years, made a significant contribution towards space industry development and research in Australia and across the world. I note that the University of Adelaide, Flinders University and the University of South Australia have all made substantial commitments towards space programs within the universities. Indeed, several years ago I attended the University of South Australia, which took part in the launch of a rocket from Japan. We had a direct telecast of the launch because the university and the Defence Signals Directorate, as I think it was call at that time, had made a contribution towards the design of that rocket. So we were given the privilege of watching it take off. Again, that just shows the capacity that already exists.

Regardless of where the headquarters are—and of course I would welcome the headquarters being in South Australia if that's where the government finally chooses to locate them—I simply stress the point that every state and every entity that already makes a contribution towards the space industry in this country can continue to do so. In South Australia, more recently, a nanosatellite tracking station was established at Pinkerton Plains, which is about 70 miles north of Adelaide. It was established by Fleet Space Technologies. The first of two nanosatellites are set to be launched in October this year. One will be onboard a rocket that leaves from India and another on a rocket that leaves from California in the USA. Again, this shows how an agency in South Australia can contribute towards the work that is happening in two separate countries on the other side of the world.

Also last month, the Deputy Director for Technology and Research Investments at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Dr Christyl Johnson, said she's in the process of establishing a working agreement between NASA and South Australia for an internship program between the two countries. Under the program, undergraduate scientists and some undergraduate engineering students will be able to work at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for about a year. Again, it's another great example of how collaboration and cooperation can continue regardless of where a facility is.

The truth of the matter is also this: our investment in the space industry in this country has huge flow-on effects for the country not only with respect to the direct work of the space industry more broadly, which the member for Corio quite properly pointed out the importance of, but also there are two aspects to an investment in the space industry that are absolutely critical. One is that the futures of economies of the world are reliant very largely on their space programs. That is the future economic driver for the globe, so it's important that every country gets in on it and gets in on it early, particularly Australia as we already have a great deal of expertise in that industry. We shouldn't waste that expertise; we should in fact be one of the countries leading the work that is being done around the world. The second is that, as we have seen from all other programs in the past, space industry research and development leads to breakthroughs of products that are then used very widely throughout society, so the benefits spread not only to the space sector but to every other walk of life once the development has been commercialised and made publicly available to everybody else.

In wrapping up my comments, the annual revenue of the space industry sector in Australia is estimated to be somewhere already between $3 billion and $4 billion, and the sector employs somewhere between 9½ thousand and 11½ thousand full-time-equivalent people. Already it is a major economic contributor. Already we have the base for a major national space agency program in this country, and we should be building on it. I do note, however, that clause 2 of the explanatory memorandum to the bill with respect to the commencement says:

The Bill will commence on either the day of proclamation, or 12 months from the date of Royal Assent. The delay in commencement is to provide time for the subordinate legislation to be drafted thereby aligning commencement of the full regulatory package.

I understand that there are to be regulations in respect of this legislation and they will follow. And I accept that time is required for those regulations to be drafted. However, it does concern me that we are talking about a bill today the effects of which may not come into force until 12 months or later. It seems to me that we have an important issue before us. The government, to its credit, has committed $41 million. Labor has said that it will commit even more than that—some $51 million—and do a number of other things to address the development of a national space agency. Yet we have legislation before us that appears to be delaying the implementation of the very legislation that we are debating today.

I will say two things to the government. Firstly, stop the bidding war between the states and territories as to where the headquarters of the national space agency ought to go. Get on and make a decision about that. That will provide certainty to each of the interested parties in the bidding war that is going on. Secondly, let's get on with implementing whatever legislation is required to build on the work already done and the opportunities ahead of us that are presented by the space industry here in Australia.

Mark Coulton (Parkes, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to thank all honourable members for considering the Space Activities Amendment (Launches and Returns) Bill 2018. In 2015 the government announced a review of the Space Activities Act 1998 to examine the appropriateness and effectiveness of civil space regulation. Since that act was introduced, two decades ago, the space industry has been totally transformed. What was once strictly the domain of government has now become a flourishing private market with far lower barriers to entry. The consideration underpinning this legislative reform was to update the act to ensure it provides for the needs of Australian businesses in this new space industry paradigm. Through this reform, we are ensuring that the Australian space industry is able to engage with emerging opportunities, now and into the future, helping our businesses grow and create jobs without the burden of unnecessary red tape. This bill encourages our space related businesses to innovate, invest and create jobs. It provides Australians with greater access to the global space economy by bringing our regulations in line with agreed international practice and standards.

This is reform with long-term vision, providing for types of launches and returns that are considered imminent and in need of specific requirements. To date, the Space Activities Act 1998 has predominantly supported the launch of satellites from overseas where an Australian national is a responsible party. The bill broadens the regulatory framework to specify anticipated activities, including launches from aircraft in flight and domestic high-power rocket launchers. This reform reflects Australia's rising global prominence accompanying the Turnbull government's establishment of the Australian space agency. It allows our businesses to be at the forefront of space industry development. The bill also updates insurance requirements, bringing them into line with global standards. It requires insurance for space activities and higher power rockets to be no more than $100 million. This is a significant reduction from the highest amount specified in the Space Activities Act 1998—$750 million. The insurance requirement has changed based on levels commensurate with other countries while allowing flexibility for detail to be provided in the rules.

The Turnbull government recognises thorough consultation as key to this process. The rules which will form a critical part of Australia's space regulatory framework will be developed within 12 months of the passage of the bill. This timing allows a considered approach to be taken and appropriate time to engage and consult with stakeholders involved in space activities. Further transitional arrangements are included in the bill so that there is no uncertainty for those undertaking space activities. Details of the updated application requirements and revised fee structure will be included in the rules.

The development of the bill has been informed by extensive consultation, including a public information session, resulting in 69 submissions and the subsequent development of a legislative proposal paper based on further input from stakeholders and submissions in response to the proposed paper. I thank all stakeholders for their participation and support for the bill. The further consultation around the development of the rules will build on this comprehensive process.

The global space economy is worth over US$345 billion per year and is growing at 10 per cent annually. Despite our outstanding capabilities here in Australia, our businesses represent just 0.8 per cent of the global space economy. The passage of this bill will enable Australian industry to grow that share and to seize extraordinary emerging opportunities to create jobs right across the economy. I commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Message from the Governor-General recommending appropriation announced.