Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

Again, thank you, Senator Scarr. To support both the $2 billion US Force Posture Initiatives and the $2.52 billion joint development of training areas with Singapore, this government is ensuring that it has the policies in place to maximise local industry involvement in all of these initiatives. Through our local industry capability initiative, contractors are required to proactively identify the capacity of local industry in the regions surrounding all of these projects. For example, Laing O'Rourke are delivering training facilities in Shoalwater Bay, and they are engaging 80 per cent of their subcontractors from the surrounding Livingstone and Rockhampton regions. Northern Territory based Sitzler were recently awarded a significant contract to support the US Force Posture Initiatives, and they have committed to engaging 98 per cent of their contractors from the Northern Territory.