Victoria in last battle in bid for contract

A NEW campaign underlining Victoria’s reputation as the “home of manufacturing” will launch a final pitch to secure a $5 billion military vehicle manufacturing project and up to 2000 jobs.

BAE Systems Australia: Patria AMV-35 negotiating obstacles on the Driver Training Circuit at Puckapunyal.

A NEW campaign underlining Victoria’s reputation as the “home of manufacturing” will launch a final pitch to secure a $5 billion military vehicle manufacturing project and up to 2000 jobs.

And the Andrews Government has warned Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to focus on the quality of the bids for the LAND 400 contract, rather than where marginal seats are located, when his government makes a decision as early as late this month.

BAE Systems Australia wants to build next generation AMV-35 vehicles in Fishermans Bend if it wins the LAND 400 contract.

The BAE bid is going head to head with a bid by Rheinmetall, which wants to build a different vehicle model in Queensland.

Senior ministers in Victoria fear that marginal seats in the north-eastern state will sway the Turnbull Government when it makes a decision as early as this month.

In a move to ram home the credentials of the BAE pitch, the new campaign — which includes advertisements in today’s paper — will promote Victoria’s defence industry and “proven track record in manufacturing military vehicles”.

BAE's AMV-35 armoured combat vehicle.

Local workers from defence companies that would benefit from the jobs bonanza, as well as from supply chain industries, will feature in the campaign.

One of the major selling points will also be the chance to transition workers from former automotive sites that were recently closed.

Acting state Trade and Investment Minister, Ben Carroll, said “we have the skills and proven track record needed for this critical project”.

“This is an opportunity for Malcolm Turnbull to repair some of the damage his party caused when they abandoned Victoria’s auto workers,” he said.

“This decision should be made in the best interests of our defence force, our troops and our country. It should not be made in the best interests of Malcolm Turnbull’s political career.”

The government says BAE Systems being awarded the LAND 400 contract would add close to $1 billion to Victoria’s economy, and create up to 2000 manufacturing and supply chain jobs.

Victoria’s defence sector is worth about $8 billion to the local economy every year, and the state government says 20,000 workers are employed across 400 businesses.

A new precinct in Fishermans Bend was recently unveiled to house aerospace, defence, maritime and automotive centres that include advanced manufacturing and research and development.

The new precinct would be the home of the LAND 400 project, if BAE Systems wins the contract.