MOTIONS
Mr VENNING (Grey) (18:45): This is the second time this motion has come before this house, and it is just so emblematic of this government, because, again, there is a remarkable degree of self-congratulations in this motion. It praises the government for supporting the space sector while that same government has stripped funding from space programs, leaving regional projects fighting for certainty.
The level of spin is just outrageous. When the coalition launched the Australian Space Agency, we set out with ambition and with direction. Space is about sovereign capability, new manufacturing, medical research, national security and jobs in regional Australia.
Sadly, Labor has abandoned that vision. At a time when every advanced economy is racing ahead in space technology, Labor is pulling Australia out of the space race altogether. And here is the irony: this is not a story of high-tech labs in capital cities in Australia; space is built and launched in the regions.
Space is a regional industry, and, in my electorate of Grey, with no support from this Labor government, we are doing it. I've been to the launch sites. I understand that technologies are making lifesaving HIV medicines in space.
At Whalers Way, near Port Lincoln, we have the only site in the world that can provide high-cadence launches and sun-synchronous launches. This will deliver major economic benefits, and it is already attracting rocket manufacturers from around the world, drawn by our unique geography. And Whalers Way is not alone.
Grey is also home to an established launch activity at Koonibba and the world-famous Woomera Range, a key asset not just for Australia but for the free world, both now and in the past, in World War II. Southern Launch is already delivering at Koonibba, working in genuine partnership with the Koonibba community, with further re-entry missions for international customers planned.
The Koonibba Community Observatory, built alongside that community, is due to officially open later this year, and I will be there. This is an Aboriginal partnership done properly, delivering jobs and with a real stake in Australia's space future. But the biggest prize is Whalers Way, and, right now, it's stuck.
The remaining hurdles aren't technical; they're—you guessed it!—regulatory. Southern Launch has purchased offset land to protect the environment and maintain it to a high standard, with experts pointing to real conservation gains for threatened bird species. The company has done everything asked of it.
Yet progress has stalled for months, held up by a vocal minority. South Australians are entitled to ask whether that passes the pub test. And, while we wait, others won't.
The Northern Territory has offered Southern Launch a site near one of its major ports. Their government is taking notice. If South Australia won't act, the Northern Territory will.
This is bigger than one state project. Southern Launch is becoming a national capability and a national security asset. Allied demand for launch and test facilities is growing, and our AUKUS partners are looking for Australia to deliver.
Other nations are looking to Australia to. That interest points to real manufacturing jobs right here in the electorate of Grey. And the opportunity doesn't stop there.
Other nations understand the stakes and are backing their sectors with serious government investment. Australia shouldn't be spectators while other countries build the sovereign capability we could be building ourselves. Launch sites and spaceports should be recognised as critical infrastructure.
That recognition would unlock the funding needed to meet security standards. Regional infrastructure has to keep pace too. Ceduna Airport needs its runway extended to handle the people and the equipment the industry requires.
The opportunity in front of us for regional South Australia is enormous. Southern Launch has met every requirement asked of it, and what it needs now is certainty. I call on the federal and South Australian governments to resolve the outstanding approvals, recognise the sector for the national asset that it is and back Australian operators.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Dr Haines ): The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned, and the resumption of the debate will be made in order of the day for the next sitting.