Forum To Study Defence Industry Potential

Illawarra Mercury

Thursday September 11, 2008

By ALEX ARNOLD

A FORUM featuring some of the Australian Defence Force's top-ranking officers will be held in Nowra tomorrow to discuss the future of the defence industry in the region.

Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support Mike Kelly and recently appointed NSW Minister for Regional Development Phillip Costa will attend, along with Defence executives from the Defence Materiel Organisation and Navy Aviation Systems.

The forum comes as Prime Minister Kevin Rudd flags an increase in defence spending to match the military build-up in the Asia-Pacific region.

Mr Rudd said Australia was in a region where there had been "an explosion" in defence expenditure, especially in the area of naval capabilities.

Australia's annual defence budget now stands at more than $22 billion.

Tomorrow's forum, to be held at the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre, has been organised by the Illawarra Regional Development Board (IRDB).

The board's general manager, Peter Pedersen, said the forum would provide an opportunity for people "to get access to the right people" and help them tap into Australia's growing Defence Force budget.

Murray Mortimer, a defence industry consultant based at Nowra who is liaising with the IRDB on the forum, said projects at HMAS Albatross and HMAS Creswell provided many opportunities for business in the region.

This included redevelopment activities at both bases, the new helicopter training school at HMAS Albatross and the possible fast-tracking of the replacement for the Sea Hawk and Sea Sprite helicopters, worth up to $4 billion.

Mr Mortimer said while defence spending was the domain of the Federal Government, the forum would highlight ways the State Government could help promote the industry in NSW.

"We see linking the defence industry with regional development as one way of doing that," Mr Mortimer said.

© 2008 Illawarra Mercury

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