Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

AUKUS is a crucial technology-sharing partnership between Australia, the UK and the US, and it will deliver Australia's first nuclear powered and conventionally armed submarines. This is the single biggest defence investment we have ever embarked on. It is also an investment in our industrial complex. So it's understandable that a lot of the attention has been on the submarine element, which is pillar 1. It is true that Darwin will continue to provide a forward operating base for submarine operations. However, technological and innovation dividends will also come in a big way from pillar 2 of AUKUS, and that shouldn't be underestimated, particularly for the jobs and development it will drive in the NT.

The NT economy is already gearing up to reap the benefits of AUKUS, both pillar 1 and pillar 2. In pillar 2, for example, last year the Northern Territory government, Charles Darwin University, RMIT and the federal government established the first defence and aerospace industry 4.0 digital test lab at Charles Darwin University. This was a decision ahead of its time that will transform the northern Australian workforce. This initiative will upskill Territorians and prepare them to meet those job opportunities of the future. AUKUS pillar 1 and pillar 2 are great for Australia.