Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026

Ms CLUTTERHAM (Sturt) (18:42): South Australia plays, and will continue to play, a critical role in Australia's defence manufacturing. Since the execution of the build contract in 1987 in relation to the six Collins class submarines, South Australia has proven itself to have the workforce, knowledge, infrastructure and competency to drive outcomes and deliver capability for this country.

Fast forward almost 40 years and South Australia is now home to the Osborne Naval Shipyard, the Edinburgh Defence Precinct, Mawson Lakes and Lot Fourteen and will also be home to the Skills and Training Academy Campus, or STAC, out on the Lefevre Peninsula. The design and build of STAC will be supported by Australia's sovereign submarine build partners, BAE Systems and ASC Pty Ltd, to draw on the deep experience of our partners, ensuring training aligns with industry requirements.

I was incredibly proud to have attended the sod-turning ceremony for STAC at the start of this year when the Albanese Labor government confirmed its $480 million investment in that facility, which has now seen its first trainees and apprentices begin courses, under the tuition of industry experts. Further, more than 4,000 Commonwealth supported places have been allocated across 16 universities nationally for the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Student Pathways program, including 700 places at the University of Adelaide and 330 at Flinders University.

The Osborne Naval Shipyard, where I spent many years of my pre-politics career, is Australia's premier naval construction facility. Critical capability is being developed and sustained at this location, providing meaningful, well-paid and sustainable employment for thousands of people. This critical capability includes the sustainment of the Royal Australian Navy's Collins class submarine, the life of which will be extended through LOTE as the infrastructure is ready, skills upgraded and workforce recruited to build the future nuclear-powered program for the build of the SSN-AUKUS class.

The site is also home to the Hunter Class Frigate Program, which delivers warships which advance operational technology and, importantly, strong deterrence capability to the Royal Australian Navy. Crucially, all six Hunter class frigates will be built at the Osborne shipyard, a further demonstration of this government's commitment to continuous naval shipbuilding and its commitment to South Australia as the right location to be the beating heart of this, an endeavour that I will always champion.

At its peak, the Hunter Class Frigate Program is expected to support 3,000 direct jobs, with a supply chain supporting a further 5,000 indirect jobs. These workers will have the benefit of world-class infrastructure, including automated shipbuilding facilities and advanced welding technology. In an era of rapid geopolitical change and uncertainty, a meaningful and genuine deterrence capability is critical.

The CCSMs, LOTE and the Hunter class frigates are all essential components in Australia's deterrence strategy. And, given we are an island continent, the SSN-AUKUS class submarines will play an equally critical role. The workforce required for that build will almost exceed 10,000, with 4,000 workers employed to design and build the infrastructure for this submarine—again, at Osborne—and a further 4,000 to 5,500 direct shipyard jobs created to build these boats.

There can be no argument that this isn't one of the greatest industrial endeavours that Australia has ever undertaken, and South Australia will be at the heart of it. South Australia's involvement is not just limited to the marine environment; the Albanese government has partnered with the Malinauskas government to invest $200 million in the Deep Maintenance and Modification Facility, which—with the support of my former employer, Boeing Defence Australia—will bolster Australian sovereign defence capability and allow the Air Force's P-8A Poseidon and E-7A Wedgetail aircraft to undergo deeper maintenance in the one facility.

This purpose built, four-bay aircraft hangar uses almost 2,000 tonnes of structural steel, more than half of which came from the Whyalla steelworks—again, based in South Australia. This government has a laser-sharp focus on delivery, particularly with respect to the delivery of the deterrence capability that this country needs. Home of Australia's defence manufacturing and home to a world-class precinct that drives innovation and strategic defence projects, South Australia is a central player in this delivery.

Proposed expenditure agreed to.