Media release – Senator the Hon Marise Payne, Acting Defence Minister & The Hon Warren Entsch MP, Member for Leichhardt, 9 March 2021
Boosting maritime capability in the Pacific
The Morrison Government has awarded TAFE Queensland a $36 million contract to provide mariner training and support to the Navy crews of the Guardian-class Patrol Boats.
The funding is being delivered as part of the Morrison Government’s $2 billion Pacific Maritime Security Program to strengthen maritime capability in the Pacific.
The Acting Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne said the Pacific Maritime Security Program training contract was designed to adapt and adjust, to meet the needs of our Pacific partners.
“A modern and innovative training approach offered by TAFE Queensland will have significant strategic benefits in the Pacific,” Minister Payne said.
“TAFE Queensland has already established important relationships and arrangements with the Commonwealth and Pacific Island country governments, industries and communities.
“This, coupled with their established infrastructure in Australia and experience in delivering services in the Pacific, will enable TAFE Queensland to help achieve the outcomes of the Pacific Step-Up Program and the Pacific Maritime Security Program.
“This contract builds upon the success of the previous Pacific Patrol Boat training services contract, by providing new contemporary training for the Guardian-class Patrol Boat crew.”
Attending the contract signing in Cairns, Member for Leichhardt, Warren Entsch welcomed today’s announcement.
“I am thrilled that TAFE Queensland has been awarded this significant contract which will bring economic benefits to the region,” Mr Entsch said.
“Cairns is ideally located to mount and sustain maritime patrol and hydrographic operations, and the base is well served by the local Cairns ship repair industry.
“This five-year contract will generate 24 new jobs in the region in addition to the more than 400 direct industry ship sustainment jobs in Cairns which are already supporting the Morrison Government’s naval shipbuilding and sustainment plan.
“Being located near the broader Cairns Maritime Precinct will allow TAFE Queensland to access and support local companies in Cairns, which comes at such an important time while the economy recovers from the impacts of COVID-19.”
Under the Pacific Maritime Security Program, Australia is replacing the existing Pacific Patrol Boats with 21 new Guardian-class Patrol Boats to 12 Pacific Island nations and Timor-Leste to enhance regional maritime capability and capacity.
Media release – Jeremy Rockliff, Minister for Advanced Manufacturing and Defence Industries, 10 March 2021
Pacific Maritime Training Services tender
The AMC is a world class training provider and it’s disappointing that that the Pacific Maritime Training Services program tender has been awarded to Queensland, after the program had called Tasmania home for some time.
However, it’s important to highlight that the outcome is the result of a competitive tender process through which outcomes are not guaranteed.
I understand that the AMC are looking to strategically deploy affected staff, and I remain incredibly optimistic about the AMC’s future in Tasmania and indeed across the globe.
The AMC is exploring new opportunities in specialised fields such as autonomous vehicles and the design and delivery of digital training solutions targeted at online international maritime training markets.
I recently went to Canberra to pursue a range of trade and defence opportunities for Tasmania, which included exploring future training opportunities at AMC. These discussions were positive and are ongoing.
The Australian Government is investing heavily in the Defence and Maritime Innovation and Design Precinct at AMC which supports the Tasmanian Government’s objective to develop world class defence and national security research, education and training capabilities.
The Precinct will form a national hub for defence industry and research collaboration, and will enhance the University of Tasmania’s (UTAS) national and international networks, supporting and promoting Australia’s defence expertise.
There is an enormous opportunity for Tasmanian manufacturers and institutions in the nation’s $270 billion efforts to modernise and bring sovereign industry capabilities to our maritime, land and aerospace defence capability needs, over the next decade.
In addition, our Tasmanian Defence Industry Strategy provides the certainty and strategic direction we promised industry to ensure they can take their defence capabilities to the next level.
Whilst this decision is a disappointing one, AMC will continue to seek new opportunities here and aboard.
Media release – Michelle O’Byrne MP, Deputy Labor Leader, Shadow Minister for Economic Development and Jobs, 10 March 2021
Asleep-at-the-wheel Liberals let important $36 million maritime contract slip through Tasmania’s fingers
The Gutwein Government’s asleep-at-the-wheel approach to securing business for Tasmania has resulted in the loss of a critical $36 million contract that will be a significant blow for Launceston’s nationally-renowned Australian Maritime College.
Shadow Minister for Economic Development and Jobs Michelle O’Byrne said there was no excuse for the Liberal Government and Education and Training Minister Jeremy Rockliff to have allowed the contract to provide mariner training and support to the Navy to be lost to Queensland.
“It’s incredibly concerning that Queensland has been able to wrestle this important training package away from Tasmania, especially considering the AMC has being undertaking this course since 1992, for nearly 30 years,” Ms O’Byrne said.
“During that time the AMC has gained a national reputation, particularly in the defence industry, for its capability and in one fell swoop Mr Rockliff has allowed it to slip through Tasmania’s fingers.
“This will of course effect students who won’t be coming to Tasmania to take that training anymore which is both devastating for not only the AMC but the northern economy.
“The Liberal Government failed to secure this contract because it failed in the crucial job of representing Tasmania’s best interests and there is no getting around that fact.
“All we have seen from Minister Rockliff is a press release several months ago warning Queensland to keep its hands off. This sort of important business cannot be done by press release at a time when it was known the Queensland Government had been lobbying very hard.
“Jeremy Rockliff’s non-attempt at making excuses today – doing nothing more than to confirm Tasmania has lost a competitive tender process – are hollow, weak and meaningless.”
