Coronavirus: $1bn to boost ADF projects, recovery

Scott Morrison will bring forward $1bn from the budget to fund a COVID-19 jobs recovery and stimulus plan for defence industries.

Scott Morrison in question time on Tuesday. Picture: Sean Davey

Scott Morrison will bring forward $1bn from the budget to fund a COVID-19 jobs recovery and stimulus plan for defence industries in a bid to support 4000 jobs.

The jobs package will include a $300m rebuild plan for military installations and Defence Departme­nt estates across the country that suffered damage during the bushfires.

A further $190m in approved infrastructure projects for the Northern Territory will be brought forward.

ADF reservists who had lost ordinary income because of the pandemic also would be given extra pay days, with a further recruitment of 500 reservists.

Spending will go to directly supporting private sector defence industry businesses that have suffered during the pandemic.

Up to 40 ex-Qantas and Virgin technicians who had lost their jobs will be re-employed to work maintenance programs for the RAAF C-27J aircraft fleet.

The funding will be drawn from normal defence spending planned for the later years of the budget forward estimates and brought forward to roll out across the next two years.

The Prime Minister said it would provide increased funding for defence innovation and a boost for small and medium businesses in the defence industry supply chain.

“Like much of the economy, our local defence industry is doing it tough because of COVID-19. This is especially so for small and medium-sized businesses that are critical to jobs,” Mr Morrison said.

“Supporting our defence industry is all part of our JobMaker plan — especially high-paying, high-skilled jobs that ensure we are supporting a robust, resilient and internationally competitive defence industry. We want to build our sovereign industrial capabilities and Australian workforce to keep our people safe.

“We will also support our ADF members and families, particularly any reservists who are doing it tough because of COVID-19.”

The national estate works program will include Jervis Bay and Eden, RAAF bases East Sale, Pearce, Wagga and Amberley, the Albury-Wodonga Military Area and Blamey Barracks.

Seven infrastructure projects in the Northern Territory have been tagged for accelerated funding including Robertson Barracks, RAAF Base Darwin, Larrakeyah Defence Precinct and the Delamere Air Weapons Range.

Extra employment will be offered to the 27,000 ADF active reserve members who have lost civilian income during the pandemic. They also will be given more work with the lifting of annual reserve days to 210,000 days by next year.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said supporting the sector would be crucial in the broader economic recovery with billions of dollars in defence projects reliant on private sector supply chains.

“Already we’ve fast-tracked a range of capability, infrastructure, skilling and workforce initiatives over the next two years,” Senator Reynolds said.

“This includes rolling out a number of Defence estate works tenders as part of Defence’s economic stimulus initiative package, that will run over the 2020-21 and 2021-22 financial years.

“Already, over $11bn has been provided in early payment for invoices and work to improve or sustain industry capacity for the delivery of critical supplies.”