Qld weapons giant on hiring spree to defend Australia

Brisbane munitions manufacturer NIOA has embarked on the biggest hiring spree in its 50 year history as rising global tensions push the country to spend billions more on defence.

Brisbane munitions manufacturer NIOA has embarked on the biggest hiring spree in its 50 year history as rising global tensions push the country to spend billions more on defence.

NIOA has been hiring staff at a rate of one person per week more than doubling its headcount to 165 over the past two years after securing several multimillion-dollar defence contracts. Another 20 workers are expected to be inducted over the next few months.

The Federal Government is investing $578bn on defence over the next decade including $280bn on high-tech submarines, fighter jets, advanced munitions and hypersonic weapons.

Founded in regional Queensland in 1973, NIOA is working on a number of defence contracts including ammunition for the Abrams main battle tank.

NIOA’s subsidiary, the Australian Missile Corp, is among the contenders for the Federal Government’s $1bn guided weapons program.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has thrown the spotlight on Australia’s defence capacity and the need to modernise our weapons systems.

Weapons design specialists Richard Basladynski, right, and Jason Jonker have joined NIOA as the firearms, weapons and munitions company’s staff numbers have more than doubled in less than two years. Picture: Supplied

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has declared that defence investment “will only increase” in the future, sending a strong signal of the importance of a robust strategic defence industry amid a rapidly changing geopolitical environment.

NIOA global chief executive Robert Nioa said he saw no signs of the recruitment drive slowing, predicting employee numbers will pass 200 later this year.

“The growth of the business in recent years has created new employment opportunities right across the company,” said Mr Nioa.

“It’s certainly a busy time but also an exciting one and as an Australian company it is great to be able to offer jobs locally. It’s also a show of strength in our industry in creating the jobs of the future.

“It’s a remarkable business growth story – if you look two years back to 2020 when NIOA had a total staff of 89. We always focus on attracting outstanding people.”

Mr Nioa said jobs were being offered across the company’s operations in Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra, Benalla in regional Queensland and Lithgow in New South Wales.

Robert Nioa. Picture: Supplied

The company has committed to building a $50m small arms factory in either Brisbane, Lithgow in New South Wales or Benalla in Victoria if it secures the next tranche of a contract to supply close combat assault rifles, machine guns, grenades and other weapons to the defence forces.

From modest beginnings in regional Queensland almost half a century ago, NIOA is now Australia’s largest privately owned company supplying firearms, weapons, ammunition and technical support to military, law enforcement and commercial markets.

Originally published as Qld weapons giant on hiring spree to defend Australia