Big boost for Australian shipbuilders
Hundreds of workers in the shipbuilding industry in the
Illawarra region, south of Sydney, received good news
with the announcement that the federal Government had
awarded a $20 million six-year contract to BlueScope to
supply the steel required to build three new
Hobart-class air warfare destroyers.
"This is Australian steel for Australian ships for
Australia's defence," Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, said
after a tour of the steelworks at Port Kembla.
Workers in the Illawarra cautiously welcomed the deal,
where unemployment has reached 9.1 per cent.
Furnace operator Rob Kolevski urged the Government to do
more. "Illawarra is almost dead," Mr. Kolevski said.
"This is a welcome boost, the contract with the navy,
but we need to be exporting steel first and foremost."
The Government should introduce rebates for companies
buying "homemade" steel, stop importing overseas steel,
and better promote Australian product to overseas
markets, he said.
Australian Workers Union Port Kembla secretary Andy
Gillespie said the Government should extend the practice
of buying Australian-made steel with the formation of a
procurement policy. "We need the wheel to start to turn
as quick as we possibly can, to hang on to the
employment we already have in the area and create more
jobs."
In a more general context, the Government is giving the
whole shipbuilding industry a big boost with a Defence
budget of around $AU100 billion for the biggest military
equipment upgrade in the nation's history, a shopping
list that includes new submarines, warships, fighter
jets, cruise missiles, helicopters, spy planes, drones
and cyber-warfare equipment.
While much of this gear will be sourced in the wider
world, Australia already builds submarines in South
Australia, frigates in Victoria and patrol boats in
other states. It is an innovator with military vessels
such as the fast Incat troop and materiel transports and
attack vehicles like the Bushmaster Armoured Personnel
Carrier. Can you imagine the demand for skilled
tradespeople and professionals such a program will
generate? Contact LIA and assess your eligibility to
participate in Australia’s Defence industries.
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