Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has come out in support of Australian Aerospace’s bid for Air 9000 Phase 8, calling on Defence to make a “vote of confidence” in the state’s future.
During a tour of Australian Aerospace’s production facility in Brisbane this week, where the company is working on the MRH90 and Tiger helicopters, Bligh stressed the creation of local jobs as a factor in favour of the NFH.
“When it comes to high-tech manufacturing, Australia has lost a lot of its capability over the past decades,” Bligh said. “With this contract we have the opportunity, if we secure it here in Queensland, to create more high-skilled jobs for the future and grow our capability as a manufacturing state.
“Queensland’s economy has been hit very hard in the last few months; now more than ever we need the Federal Government to back Queensland-based companies like this one for contracts like the naval helicopter contract.
“Without this contract and skills and capability that have built the MRH90 will be lost to Queensland and lost to Australia,” Bligh said.
A decision on Air 9000 Ph 8 naval helicopter capability between the NH90 and the Team Romeo (Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin) MH-60R, is expected by mid 2011.