It has been a busy and productive Budget week for Engineers Australia in Canberra.

CEO Romilly Madew AO, Chief Engineer Jane MacMaster and Group Executive Policy and Public Affairs, Damian Ogden have met with Government Ministers and policy makers to advocate for the profession and its importance in helping to deliver several significant Budget announcements.

The day after the Budget, the group met with the Hon. Pat Conroy, Minister for Defence Industry at Parliament.

We spoke about the significant announcements in the Budget for Defence which will require the skills of the engineering profession, including the pivotal role engineers will play in delivering key defence projects required for AUKUS and as outlined in the Defence Strategic Review.

Engineers have the skills to solve complex problems and must have a critical voice in planning and implementation around safety and the execution of the systems needed to enhance Australia’s future defence capability.

This is particularly the case for the establishment of the Australian Submarine Agency and the Australian Nuclear-Powered Submarine Safety Regulator.

Positively, the Budget addressed investment in the skill sets that will be required to implement these projects, with $127.3 million over four years to fund an addition 4000 university or higher education places for courses that support the requirements of nuclear-powered submarines, with a focus on STEM and management skills.

Defence industry received a further $3.4 billion over 10 years for the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator. This new entity will drive innovation to develop defence’s capability.

Engineers Australia looks forward to continuing these discussions with Government to help deliver on these national priorities.

Image: Damian Ogden, Romilly Madew, Pat Conroy and Jane MacMaster.