Released 30/01/2018
The ACT Government’s strategy to grow the defence sector as part of an ongoing program to diversify the territory economy and grow our export base continues to deliver; with the opening of Electro Optic Systems (EOS) new production facility in Hume set to add 180 jobs to the booming territory economy.
In June 2017, I released the ACT Government’s plan to support and grow Canberra’s significant and globally competitive defence industry. Canberra is already home to Australia's largest defence companies, including significant manufacturing, research and development and technical expertise and it is pleasing to see another local company grow with the recognition of their world leading products.
The ACT Government supported EOS on the development of their new facility in Hume. EOS operations will expand after they were recently awarded with an $410 million export contract.
Our efforts to work with industry and our education sectors to identify and fill skills gaps is already paying dividends. The ACT Government, through our Defence Industry Advocate Kate Lundy and our Defence Industry Advisory Board, have been promoting Canberra as a place to do business.
Department of Defence and defence industry are important to the regional economy, contributing $4.3 billion per year, and providing over 25,000 jobs. Through the Government’s efforts, we hope the industry will continue to grow and provide more employment opportunities in the territory.
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Andrew Barr, MLA | Media Releases