Land 400 deal could help Queensland win valuable defence contract building combat vehicles

A NEW industry that could rival the state’s thriving mining sector will be created if Queensland secures a Land 400 deal.

CEO Andrew Sanderson at the TAE Aerospace headquarters at RAAF Amberley. Picture: Tara Croser.

A NEW industry that could rival the state’s thriving mining sector will be created if Queensland secures a Land 400 deal.

Companies and local businesses in Queensland’s defence sector believe winning one of the most expensive defence contracts in history would do wonders for jobseekers around the state.

TAE Aerospace, the largest all-Australian aerospace company which is based at the RAAF base Amberley, would be one beneficiary of a new ­defence sector growth spurt.

CEO Andrew Sanderson said deciding the new combat reconnaissance vehicles (CRV) would be built in Queensland would create a new industry for employment.

“These vehicles will be fancy and like a lot of the mining equipment, will require a lot of skilled workers like diesel mechanics, mechatronics people, engineering,” he said.

“It means there’ll be a bigger pool (of workers) and a longer, more sustainable pool in the region. It grows a bigger industry, which is good.”

Queensland already has a number of defence-related businesses operating throughout the state, and Mr Sanderson said they would thrive on the back of a Land 400 hub.

“We already have a pretty robust defence industry here in Queensland,” he said. “For us, if something like Land 400 comes to Queensland, we get to access some of that industry which might be repair services, painting, manufacturing at that mechanical level. It means there will be more employment in the region and more attractive for people to come and join and move here.”

The Land 400 deal would see 225 new CRVs built and create a chain of manufacturing, servicing and repair jobs.