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

I thank Senator Patrick for the question, and I also thank him for the courtesy of prior notice, particularly in the circumstances. More than 1,300 Australian companies have prequalified for inclusion in the BAE Systems Maritime Australia Hunter project supply chain. We already have contracts with BlueScope for Australian steel. Here are just some of the great Australian businesses working on the Hunter: Indigenous business TQCSI-Yaran; InfraBuild Steel Centre; APS Adelaide Profile Services; Intertek Adelaide Inspection Services; and MG Engineering.

The Hunter class frigate program will achieve a minimum of 58 per cent Australian industry content, with a target Australian industry content of over 60 per cent. This means Australian jobs, skills and growing our sovereign industrial capability. There are already over a thousand Australians working on the Hunter class frigate program, which will grow to 2,200 at the program's peak in the late 2020s. As design of the Hunter progresses, even more work packages will be released to Australian industry in both the build and sustainment phases. Already companies such as Voxon Photonics have won work with BAE Systems to support naval research in Australia and in the UK. But, of course, our targets for Australian industry content are not set-and-forget. We are maximising Australian industry content across naval shipbuilding and have established a robust Australian industry assurance program to ensure that Australian businesses are afforded every possible opportunity.