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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a $30 million phase one investment in the Tasmanian Defence Innovation and Design Precinct at the University of Tasmania's Australian Maritime College (AMC).
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The new Precinct will help drive Defence-related resea:05rch and development projects, creating more jobs in Launceston and a world-class research precinct.
The AMC and University of Tasmania are already supporting the Australian Defence Force and defence industry, providing innovative research and development to support Defence capability.
The AMC’s Cavitation Research Laboratory is a crucial capability enabler for the Royal Australian Navy and the AMC is a key part of the National Shipbuilding College.
By supporting phase one of the Research and Design Precinct, a re-elected Morrison government would support the high value testing and evaluation needs of the RAN; increasing opportunities for greater collaboration between Defence, academia and industry to deliver cutting-edge defence capability; and build the AMC’s ability to support the National Shipbuilding College as it builds the workforce of the future to deliver on the national Naval Shipbuilding Plan.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it is estimated that over 150 additional jobs in the region will be created each year, with up to 58 additional jobs in the region during the construction program.
"Our focus is on delivering more jobs for Tasmanians. By contrast, Labor will tax Tasmanians more and not build a single naval ship – that was their record in their six years of government," the Prime Minister said.
By creating a Tasmanian Defence Innovation and Design Precinct at the AMC, the Morrison government would bring together Tasmanian industry to create more jobs.
The 2016 Defence White Paper committed $1.6 billion to Defence-related innovation over a decade, supporting Australian science, technology and innovation to provide advanced home-grown Defence capabilities.
Tasmania is home to a growing defence industry, providing niche capabilities for the ADF, and exporting world-class technology around the globe.
Prime Minister Morrison said the government, along with the University of Tasmania and Tasmanian Liberal government, has been working on this since the release of the 2016 Defence White Paper and the joint $500,000 investment in the development of a business case for the precinct in 2017.
"Our plan for strong economy means we’re backing Tasmania’s defence industries and naval capability with a $30 million investment," he added.
This story has been amended and is accurate at 9:05AM AEST.
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
