The Premier Peter Malinauskas will today travel to Canberra with workers from BAE Systems and union representatives to advocate for a guarantee frigates will be built in Adelaide as part of a continuous naval shipbuilding program.
Mr Malinauskas and the workers will meet with the Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, and the Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy.
The Federal Government is preparing to finalise the outcomes of a critical review into the Navy’s surface ship fleet.
The surface ship review was designed to ensure the size, structure and composition of the fleet complements the decision to deliver conventionally armed, nuclear powered AUKUS submarines, to be built in Adelaide.
Hundreds of BAE Systems workers are already building the first of the Hunter-class Frigates at Adelaide’s Osborne Naval Shipyard.
As put by Peter Malinauskas
The Federal Government knows my view – the surface ship review must be released, and it must ensure Adelaide has a consistent, continuous supply of ships to be constructed in Adelaide.
We make this case because we know this is the only way this works.
The national interest demands that we do not have another valley of death.
There are already hundreds of workers at Osborne building frigates, and as a government, we are doing everything in our power to build the workforce that we know we will need to build surface ships and submarines.
These young South Australians deserve to step forward into their future careers with confidence.
As put by Australian Shipbuilding Federation of Unions (ASFU) National Convenor Glenn Thompson
The ASFU has been campaigning for near a decade to ensure a continuous naval shipbuilding program.
I am pleased to be here today in Canberra with ASFU delegates, the Premier and BAE Systems, to ensure the government’s commitment that a continuous shipbuilding program be delivered.
Many South Australians and ASFU members at Osborne, have seen firsthand the devastation that the valley of death caused following the completion of the Air Warfare program and the loss of engineering capability in the state, when Prime Minister Abbott dared that the automotive industry leaves Australia.
The Government has a once in a lifetime opportunity to build a sovereign engineering base.
The Defence Strategic Review (DSR) needs to ensure that we have a continuous shipbuilding program in South Australia and that we build and maintain our design and engineering capabilities for future navy requirements.
