Space Manufacturing

Ms WELLS (Lilley) (18:43): Opportunities to become part of the international space supply chain are growing across the globe, and Queensland is well positioned to harness our natural potential. By 2025, Queensland's space industry will be recognised as a leading centre in Australasia for launch activities, ground systems, Earth observation, niche manufacturing, robotics and automation for space. The Queensland government's Space Industry Strategy will add between $3.5 billion and $6 billion to Queensland's economy and up to 6,000 jobs by 2036.

We are home to Black Sky Aerospace, who in December 2020 became the first and only Australian company with the capability and licence to manufacture large-scale solid rocket motors. Dr William Crowe at High Orbit Robotics in Sydney is also doing fantastic work, combining intelligent control with space based cameras to acquire high-quality imagery of valuable assets in space.

I fully support any endeavour to assist Australian businesses to become part of then international space supply chain. But it seems that the Morrison government are more willing to invest in manufacturing and jobs anywhere but at home, where it really matters. We've just heard from the member for Wills that we've lost 90,000 manufacturing jobs under this government—90,000 pairs of boots that have been hung up because this government doesn't care about manufacturing, doesn't care about bringing Aussie jobs back home.

In my electorate of Lilley the aviation, tourism and transport sector has been haemorrhaging jobs for the last two years—Virgin Australian workers, both at head office and the airport; Qantas baggage handlers; dnata workers; Volgren workers; and, potentially, Greyhound Australia workers. Before the Morrison government sends a man to Mars, may I suggest that that they try the manufacturing businesses in Virginia in my electorate of Lilley first.