Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for Defence has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1)   Yes.

Yes, Defence has given serious consideration to the proposal. The Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) has consulted with AusAID regarding a similar proposal put forward by former Liberal Senator for Tasmania Guy Barnett. Based on the outcomes of the discussions with AusAID, DSTO currently has no plans to expand the capacity of DSTO Scottsdale to become a manufacturer and supplier of food aid products.

  (b)   Defence is unable to provide information on the potential employment prospects of such a proposal due to the multiple factors involved, including the potential demand for food aid products produced by DSTO Scottsdale and the possible impact upon local and international suppliers of food aid if DSTO Scottsdale were to produce food aid products. Any decision to increase the manufacturing capacity of DSTO Scottsdale will need to ensure that there is no impact upon DSTO Scottsdale's support to the Australian Defence Force.

(2)   Defence does not believe the demand for military food ration packs as humanitarian aid will increase. The United Nations World Food Programme, Australia's key partner in food aid, has advised AusAID that military ration packs would not meet the nutritional requirements of its target groups, such as infants, children and pregnant women. Defence is unable to predict whether the demand for food ration packs more generally will increase as there are too many factors involved.

(3)   DSTO's highly specialised capability for producing freeze dried meals to the ADF's standards and numbers for its combat rations packs is unique in Australia.

(4)   The New Zealand company Back Country Foods Ltd is a commercial producer of freeze dried meals. Unlike the products produced by DSTO Scottsdale, their meals are not produced to meet the higher performance requirements of the ADF. The production capacity of Back Country Foods Ltd is not known to DSTO.