Qld manufacturers deliver for the troops

Two Queensland companies are set to deliver for the troops today – with the first of hundreds of Army’s new super trucks rolling into Enoggera Barracks.

State Development Minister and Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Dr Anthony Lynham said two Queensland companies started delivery on their job-generating Australian Defence Force contracts at the Gallipoli Barracks at Enoggera today (Thursday).

Rocklea-based Haulmark Trailers (Australia) is manufacturing 1700 truck trailers and Logan’s Holmwood Highgate will produce 250 fuel and water modules to go on the back of the Army’s new trucks. Wacol-based company Penske also has an important support role for the trucks.

German-based Rheinmetall is supplying more than 2500 medium and heavy military trucks to the Australian Army. The first were delivered today at an official handover ceremony at Enoggera on Brisbane’s northside.

Dr Lynham said defence projects were important to Queensland because they brought high-value jobs in engineering, electronics and systems integration.

“These contracts are expected to support the current combined workforce of about 150 and will create about 115 new jobs,” he said.

“This demonstrates Queensland companies are more than capable of meeting the Australian Defence Force needs on land, in the air and on the sea.

“Queensland continues to be on the front-line of supporting industry and defence.”

The trucks, trailers and fuel and waster modules will be progressively delivered during 2016 through to 2020 and will be supplied to army bases around the country, including 3^rd Brigade in Townsville.

Dr Lynham said his department’s defence industries unit continued to work hard to ensure Queensland manufacturing companies were equipped to bid for defence contracts.

The State Government will soon release 10 year action plans to guide further industry development in defence, aerospace and advanced manufacturing.

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Media contact: Jan Martin 0439 341 314