Australian munitions jobs secured
11 September 2014
Around 550 jobs will be secured in rural Victoria and New South Wales, thanks to a five-year plan announced by Australian defence minister David Johnston.
Thu, 11 Sep 2014Around 550 jobs will be secured in rural Victoria and New South Wales, thanks to a five-year plan announced by Australian defence minister David Johnston.
Multinational defence and technologies giant Thales operates the Mulwala and Benalla munitions plants where the workers are based.
Speaking yesterday [10 September] on new Domestic Munitions Manufacturing Arrangements (DMMA), Johnston said negotiations could now be finalised on a programme worth more than A$350m (£197m) and ensure Australia continues to have an indigenous munitions industry.
The defence minister added that “the new interim arrangements for continuing operations at Benalla and Mulwala means the facilities will be able to retain about 550 direct manufacturing jobs in regional Victoria and New South Wales”.
He said that maintaining a skilled and competent workforce has been a challenge for munitions manufacturing in Australia “due to the relatively small munitions demand spread across a number of munitions types”.
Thales Australia currently manufactures propellant and high explosives at Mulwala, NSW and munitions at Benalla, Victoria.
Multinational defence and technologies giant Thales operates the Mulwala and Benalla munitions plants where the workers are based.
Speaking yesterday [10 September] on new Domestic Munitions Manufacturing Arrangements (DMMA), Johnston said negotiations could now be finalised on a programme worth more than A$350m (£197m) and ensure Australia continues to have an indigenous munitions industry.
The defence minister added that “the new interim arrangements for continuing operations at Benalla and Mulwala means the facilities will be able to retain about 550 direct manufacturing jobs in regional Victoria and New South Wales”.
He said that maintaining a skilled and competent workforce has been a challenge for munitions manufacturing in Australia “due to the relatively small munitions demand spread across a number of munitions types”.
Thales Australia currently manufactures propellant and high explosives at Mulwala, NSW and munitions at Benalla, Victoria.
