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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
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Motions

Australian Space Agency

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (15:55): I move:

That this house—

(a) recognises the significant opportunity that space-related industries provide to the South Australian economy;

(b) applauds the federal government for their decision to establish a national space agency;

(c) condemns the federal Labor Party for having a policy that the agency should be based in Canberra; and

(d) supports the South Australian government's bid for the space agency to be based in South Australia.

I am very excited about the incredible opportunity that Australia is taking with the establishment of a national space agency. I think it is fair to say that both sides of this house have been working on this for quite a period of time. I made a trip to visit NASA's Johnson Space Center in the US, I think in 2016, at the invitation of Dr Andy Thomas, an astronaut who hails from South Australia. Dr Thomas and others have been advocating a long time for the establishment of a national space agency in South Australia.

I was very pleased to champion that cause to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull when he assumed office. Dr Thomas and I met with the Prime Minister, who then said that he would consider this great opportunity. I and many people in this state were delighted when the International Astronautical Congress was held in South Australia in September 2017 and the federal government announced that they would be establishing a national space agency.

The purpose of this agency is to support critical partnerships, to coordinate a national strategy towards space innovation, provide support for industry growth and lead international engagement in space industries. What an incredible opportunity this will be for our nation, in many ways playing catch-up to other countries around the world that have been intimately involved with this opportunity for an extended period of time. In fact, I think it was a matter of national embarrassment that we were, as I understand, the only OECD country in the world that did not have a national space agency.

As I said, I do acknowledge the work of those opposite who, when they were in government, saw the need to have a space industry in South Australia. Indeed, they appointed Mr Nicola Sasanelli to a role in order to explore the opportunities for our state in the space industry going forward. This makes logical sense. As we are all aware, South Australia is the home of defence. In fact, for many years, our numberplates read, 'South Australia—The Defence State'. Defence companies and organisations have been based in South Australia for decades and decades. Weapons research was established, I think, certainly before the 1950s—

The Hon. V.A. Chapman: Before you were born.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Before I was born, as the Deputy Premier pointed out. That of course morphed into the DSTO, now the DSTG. We have many of the primes that operate in Australia domiciled right here in South Australia. I think we all appreciate the great benefit of having those defence companies here because we know that they create employment and, more than anything else, create opportunity for our next generation. I think it is important that we work in a bipartisan way as much as possible in order to realise the great economic benefit to our state from South Australia's space industry. We on this side of the house applaud the federal government for their decision to establish a national space agency.

I hope that what we hear later today in this chamber is applause from those opposite for the Coalition for establishing a national space agency in Australia. What we do know already is that the federal government has appointed Dr Megan Clark as the interim head of the Australian space agency, which commenced its operations, its early work, on 1 July this year. It is currently located within the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science under minister Michaelia Cash, who hails from Western Australia.

At the moment, this agency is based in Canberra. The work that it is doing at the moment is evaluating the various options for where this new space agency will be located. In the budget, which was handed down by the Coalition in May of this year, there was a total announced budget of $300 million to go towards what was referred to as 'space expenditure'. Of that, $41 million will be allocated towards establishing the agency. Of that $41 million, $15 million will go towards joining with international space agencies to enable Australian businesses to compete in the global space economy.

As I was saying before, I think that we have a great claim to house the national space agency here in South Australia. I think we will put in a very compelling and competitive bid. Let's make no mistake about this: there will be others. We hear now about other premiers around Australia who might have been wandering around the backblocks of their state and found a bit of old space junk from the 1980s and now they are claiming they have a space industry. The reality is that we have a space industry here in South Australia and we will be doing everything we can to put forward a compelling offer.

In recent weeks, we have welcomed Dr Megan Clark coming to South Australia to look at an early proposition for housing the national space agency on the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site. We believe that we could have that up and running, for the size that is envisaged, by the middle of next year. It is fair to say that the early information that we are receiving from the Coalition is that this is not going to be a massive bureaucrat-led space agency, but one which is actually focused on developing an industry, a private sector industry, which will be spending their money to create those jobs and those opportunities. It does not need to be based in Canberra. That goes without saying.

Only recently, I was in the United Kingdom, following on from the federal government's awarding of the Future Frigates contract, the SEA 5000 contract, to BAE. On that trip, I met with the head of the UK National Space Agency. Their agency is not based in London; in fact, it is based in Oxfordshire, and it is based around that industry hub. That is exactly and precisely what we could offer here in South Australia: an industry-led national space agency.

You can imagine how aghast we were on this side of the house when the federal Australian Labor Party announced that they (1) supported a national space agency—hooray—but (2) wanted that national space agency to be based in Canberra. It was a very disappointing announcement. What was even more disappointing was that we heard absolutely nothing from those opposite. We did not hear the Leader of the Opposition. We did not hear members of his shadow cabinet or in fact his caucus saying, 'No, sorry. Bill Shorten has got this wrong. Kim Beasley has got this wrong.'

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Well, Kim Beasley was advocating similarly and so was Chris Schacht recently advocating in Adelaide that the national space agency be based in Canberra. In fact, when Megan Clark was over in Adelaide recently my understanding is that Chris Schacht stood up at a public meeting saying that this has to be based in Canberra. We disagree. We believe that it should be based here in South Australia. We believe that we have the best opportunity to deliver outcomes, not only for the federal government but for the people of South Australia, by having it here in our state.

On this side of the house, we will do everything we can to advance the opportunity and put in the most compelling and competitive bid. What we would like to do, though, is do this in a collaborative and bipartisan way with those opposite. It is difficult to ascertain from them what their position actually is. We have not heard them condemning the federal Australian Labor Party for their moves to actually wipe out South Australia before the bid has even gone in. That is exactly what they have done. They said, 'Don't worry about putting your bid in, South Australia. Sit down and don't worry about it. We'll have it in Canberra. We want to have a bureaucrat-led space agency based in Canberra and you can pick up some of the crumbs.'

That is simply not good enough. We have a much greater ambition for South Australia than our getting a few crumbs from Canberra. What we want is the national space agency to be based here, and we would like to do that in a bipartisan way. Can I say that in recent years we have worked in a bipartisan way in areas like defence. We worked with the former government in South Australia to establish Defence SA. This was dealt with in a very bipartisan way for a very long period of time—until about two years ago, but we will leave that aside for this debate.

We worked in a very bipartisan way and much was achieved. Much can be achieved by working together in this way. I applaud the fact that the Leader of the Opposition has one portfolio, and I think I am correct in saying that he has only the one portfolio, which is defence and space. That shows his level of commitment to these important sectors. I have the defence and space industry portfolio because I know that this is critical to the future success of our state.

What we are not clear about is what the position of the South Australian Labor Party is regarding their federal colleagues saying, 'No, we don't want the space industry in South Australia. We want it to be in Canberra.' Today is an important opportunity for the opposition to put onto the public record their condemnation of Bill Shorten and his opposition's position to centralise the national space agency in Canberra.

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (16:06): I rise to support the Premier's motion in an amended form. I move an amendment, as follows:

After paragraph (d) insert:

(e) continues the bipartisan approach for South Australia to continue its leading role in the establishment and operations of a national space agency.

I am sure that in light of the Premier's recent remarks he will support the amendment.

The Hon. V.A. Chapman: Is that it?

Mr MALINAUSKAS: Yes, that's it. I think the resolution before the house presents a timely reminder that it took more than 33 years to push federal governments to establish a national space agency. Australia was once a leader in the space sector's global standings. South Australia has distinguished itself with a record of national and international success in space technology.

That is why the Weatherill government established the South Australian Space Industry Centre in September last year, the nation's first dedicated centre to grow the local space economy and create future high-tech jobs. That industry centre has administrative responsibility for the Space Innovation and Growth Strategy (South Australia) Action Plan, taking this state through to 2020—of course, another Labor government initiative.

The strategy has three objectives: the first is growing South Australia's economy through space activity, the second is invigorating South Australia's space innovation ecosystem and the third is engaging international co-operation with lead countries. It was also a Labor government that commissioned and produced the South Australian Space Capability Directory, a guide to the existing South Australian space community. This publication highlights the enterprises, consultancies, associations, researcher organisations, educational institutions and government departments contributing to our state's vibrant space ecosystem. These are just some of the previous government's achievements.

We sought to build on our state's heritage in space. In the sector's early days, the Australian government established the Woomera rocket range in South Australia's north, starting operations in 1947. It was part of the Anglo-Australian Joint Project, at the time one of only four rocket ranges in the world. Woomera played an important role in the development of space technologies, and international collaboration was fundamental to its success. The first Australian satellite was launched from Woomera in November 1967. It was a joint project with the US government, the Australian weapons research establishment and the University of Adelaide.

The project, interestingly, made Australia only the fourth country to launch its own satellite from its own territory. Since then, Woomera has been used for satellite launches and tracking space craft, including the Mercury manned mission. A recent example is the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency whose prototype supersonic jet was launched on the back of a rocket. That is 71 years of world-class work at the Woomera site. Meanwhile, in our national capital, the business of building on that heritage has been moving slowly, which takes me to the point of how South Australians, from both sides of politics, moved to advance the cause for a national space agency.

In July 1984, Australia's first minister for science, Mr Barry Jones MP, commissioned the Madigan report to report on space science and technology for Australia. In the foreword to his report, Madigan observed that in 1967 Australia was the third country in the world, after the USSR and the USA, to put a satellite into orbit. He said, 'It is incomprehensible that this leadership over most of the world could lapse.' His report concluded that Australia's 'space potential is fragmented and dispersed, and requires to be drawn together and fostered under a national space policy.' His was the first of many reviews that came to the same conclusion, culminating in a review announced by industry and innovation minister Arthur Sinodinos in late 2017 that admitted what most had known for decades: we need a national space agency.

Over the 33 years from Barry Jones' commissioning the Madigan report to Liberal senator Arthur Sinodinos' commitment, there had been a consistent theme of bipartisanship. It is on this basis that the Weatherill Labor government acknowledged the need for national coordination, as did the industry itself. We had waited 33 years. It was time to act and that is why we established the South Australian Space Industry Centre. We did so in the lead-up to Adelaide hosting the 68th International Astronautical Congress. At the congress opening, the federal government's Minister for Innovation, Arthur Sinodinos, announced that finally Australia would have a national space agency subject, of course, to another review.

The details of this agency were to be sorted out and that task was given to Dr Megan Clark, as the Premier referred to, as head of the CSIRO. In May this year, Dr Clark's report was completed and it was announced that the Australian space agency will begin operation from July, despite being without a place to call home. We are still awaiting the announcement but hope that action is close. National endeavours require national strategies. They require leadership. The motion moved by the Premier puts national endeavour aside in what appears to be an attempt to score a political point. I think that largely undermines the legacy that I referred to earlier.

The motion takes a rather cheap shot. The Labor Party in South Australia has a fine and proud record of our commitment to ensuring that South Australia is at the very centre of our national space industry. We have a 71-year record of success. We have geographical advantages, and just as we have always done, the South Australian Labor Party will not wait for Canberra nor bow to Canberra. We will always stand up for South Australia. Our record for this is unparalleled, which is why I stand here supporting the amendment moved by the Premier.

I have no equivocation in making it known that where there are differences between the South Australian branch of the Labor Party and our federal colleagues, I have no hesitation, no equivocation, in always standing up for South Australia first. I will always put our parliamentary party's obligation to the people of South Australia over and above any perceived obligation to a federal body, which I think stands in stark contrast to our Premier. It stands in stark contrast to those members opposite because we know, as I am sure you well know yourself, Mr Acting Speaker, that our Premier is on a pretty short leash by the federal member for Sturt. I do not answer to anyone apart from my caucus colleagues and the people of South Australia, unlike the Premier.

I have no hesitation in standing up for South Australia against the federal Labor Party if I believe it is in this state's interests. So we support the resolution put by the Premier with a modest amendment to try to put bipartisanship at the centre of our state position. It is all very well for the Premier to come in here and espouse the virtues of bipartisanship, and then simultaneously try to make a cheap political point. Well, we are not going to stand for that.

We put a modest amendment that questions the seriousness of the government's commitment to bipartisanship, which is why we expect their support for this amendment. We can then pass this resolution, move beyond a cheap political point from the Premier and get on with the business of ensuring that this government delivers the space agency to this state, which we so absolutely deserve.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General) (16:15): I rise to support this motion and congratulate the Premier on his stance that South Australia should bid to host our national space agency. That is, notwithstanding the last speaker's contribution, in stark contrast to those opposite. We are only now becoming aware of the infinite opportunities—

Mr Malinauskas: Did you listen to what I said?

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Calm down.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Duluk): Order!

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —increasing knowledge and use of space will present. In fact, we have just heard from the Leader of the Opposition of his support of the motion with an amendment, which I welcome, to indicate his ongoing bipartisanship approach, notwithstanding his fiery contribution trying to convince us that he will stand up to Canberra if he needs to, that he has some record of diligence in this regard and that he has no hesitation in doing that in respect of an important issue such as this.

Did he give us any indication at all that he has picked up the phone and said, 'Hello, Bill, we've got a bit of a problem here. We need to have your support on this in South Australia'? No. Did he give us any indication that he had gone over to Canberra, made an appointment with his federal leader and said, 'Listen, Bill, we really do need to sit down and talk about this. I am going to be making public statements, standing up for South Australia and this is our position'? Not a word.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Not a word.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Not a word. Did he say anything before the Mayo by-election?

Members interjecting:

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Duluk): Order!

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Not a word.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Duluk): Deputy Premier.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Has he gone out there and—

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Duluk): Deputy Premier. The Deputy Premier will be heard in silence. Deputy Premier.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Did he go out and issue any public statement—

Members interjecting:

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Duluk): Order!

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —prior to the Mayo by-election? Not a word. Now he comes in here faced with this motion and says, 'Let's be bipartisan about this.'

Mr MULLIGHAN: Point of order, Mr Acting Speaker.

The Hon. V.A. Chapman interjecting:

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Duluk): Deputy Premier! Point of order, member for Lee.

Mr MULLIGHAN: I think the member for Mawson is correct: there is no reason for the Deputy Premier to be yelling across the chamber in the manner in which she is. It is most unpleasant and disorderly.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Duluk): I am not sure if that is a point of order, member for Lee. Deputy Premier.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Clearly, the Leader of the Opposition has had every opportunity since his federal colleagues have made a statement about the national space agency being in Canberra to speak up—when former senator Schacht was here putting his view, there was plenty of opportunity, but there is just deathly silence.

Mr Malinauskas: He is not a member of parliament.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Former senator—former. Are you listening? Do you want me to shout a bit louder so you can hear?

Members interjecting:

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Duluk): Order! The Deputy Premier will be heard in silence.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Duluk): Leader of the Opposition!

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Stunning silence from the Leader of the Opposition. Well, we welcome him coming in today and saying, 'Look, I want to join forces with you guys. I want to actually stand up to my federal leader over there in Canberra'—whoever that is, Shorten, Albanese, whoever is going to deal with it in due course. However, I make the point that we need to have a continuous commitment. We need to have a loud commitment. We need to have a clear indication publicly of this, not just the Leader of the Opposition coming in here and saying, 'Well, let's all be happy together. We're all going to have a bipartisan approach.'

We commend the federal government's decision to establish the national space agency and we look forward to working with Dr Megan Clark AC, the former head of CSIRO, who will lead the new agency, and the Minister for Jobs and Innovation, Senator Michaelia Cash, on maximising the potential outputs for industry here in South Australia. Incidentally, if members have not noticed—and I only recently discovered this—we have an office of the national agency for jobs and innovation in South Australia. It is just across the road. There was nobody in it when I was last there; nevertheless, it is there next to—it had a different name actually.

Mr Mullighan interjecting:

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: You did not know that? It is a new department. If the member for Lee—

Mr Mullighan interjecting:

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Duluk): The Deputy Premier, the member for Lee—

Mr Mullighan: Yes, that's me.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Duluk): I call to order the member for Lee.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: For the assistance of the member for Lee, it is in the old state taxation office, which was demolished and rebuilt and has the Prime Minister's suite on the top. Just next to it is the Minister for Jobs and Innovation's office and a small contingent of her department. We appreciate that and recognise Michaelia Cash's role in this.

The space industry here in Australia employs 10,000 people. It is worth almost $4 billion, but recent capability reviews have found it could be worth as much as $12 billion by 2030. The Space Activities Act of 1998 has been reviewed and a bill is now before the federal parliament to update that legislation, which will bring it into commercial reality, and I look forward to that being advanced. I understand that, on or about 11 August, it is due to report in the federal parliament.

I want to commend at this point the Adelaide Law School that has presented a submission in respect of the Space Activities Amendment (Launches and Returns) Bill 2018, which will include now amendments to the principal act to deal with the reduction of a maximum insurance imposition of $100 million. This makes Australia a more cost-effective jurisdiction for commercial launch operations. The conversion of space licence to facility licence clarifies the position of the domestic launch facilitator operator, making legislation significantly more accessible for operations.

The inclusion of a reference to 'debris mitigation' brings the legislation into the 21st century, where consideration of space environment is essential. Also, the recognition of aircraft as valid launch platforms and the inclusion of an additional licence recognises the needs of these operators who may not necessarily intend to reach space, ensuring the continued viability as a rocket test facility.

South Australia can, of course, and should position itself as a centre for space law. As the industry grows, so too does the number of lawyers needed, particularly to resolve and in some cases develop complex areas of law. I can advise the house that I recently met with the Dean of the Adelaide Law School, Professor Melissa de Zwart, and Professor Dale Stephens of the Adelaide Research Unit on Military Law and Ethics.

The university has been working on the ‘Woomera project', in concert with leading universities from Europe and the United States, to develop a manual that objectively articulates and clarifies existing international law applicable to military space operations. It is called 'Woomera' not because it has anything to do with the launching of rockets or weapons testing but to recognise that it was a site to successfully launch a satellite in 1967, which has been referred to by the Leader of the Opposition. That catapulted Australia into being the fourth nation to successfully do so.

Every advanced nation now is dependent on space. This may seem a far-fetched statement, but the internet, the ATM at the end of the road and my mobile phone require the use of satellites to fully function and relay accurate information to users. As a consequence of our dependence on such technologies, the risk of conflict extending to space has grown. That is why projects such as this that aim to make clear the obligations and the laws incumbent on parties are not just important now, eventually they may become necessary.

It is essentially a modern combination of a Geneva Convention and the San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflict at Sea. This is world-leading research done right here in South Australia. I commend the University of Adelaide for its foresight and its work, which has practical implication for nations, for governments and for industry alike.

I wholeheartedly support this motion and commend the Premier for putting a strong bid to ensure our state is rightly placed not only to capitalise on the future jobs this entails but also to become an important legal centre for the space industry. For those members who may be representing in South Australia the future of space law in this state, I point out that we have a space course available at the University of Adelaide as part of the law degree. There are apparently some 60 students at the moment who are currently undertaking that course.

Mr Brown: No-one cares about the University of South Australia.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Well, the member might may call out that nobody cares about the university, but the point is—

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Duluk): I care about the University of Adelaide.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Thank you, Mr Acting Speaker, because—

Mr Brown interjecting:

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: I am a graduate, actually, of the University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide. I am proud to be a graduate of both.

Members interjecting:

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Duluk): Order! The Deputy Premier will be heard in silence.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: There are some 25 students who are currently undertaking postgraduate work in this area, and I think there are two PhD students and two on their way. I was thrilled to hear that recently because we are going to need to know what the rules of engagement are. How are we going to deal with space junk? Who is going to be able to sue who when we hit some piece of satellite in the space world?

It is a whole new frontier. It brings tears of joy to my eyes to think of all the litigation we might have one day, but what is important in the meantime is that our very own Law School is working with other universities around the world to ensure that we have a practical manual for the application of the rules in relation to this important frontier. Congratulations to the university, and I commend this motion to the house.

Ms BETTISON (Ramsay) (16:25): I rise today to support the amended motion. South Australia has a unique space sector heritage. We have the industry capability and workforce to build our nation's space industry reputation. It is a global industry worth an estimated $430 billion. Currently, the Australian space sector produces annual revenues of $3 billion to $4 billion and employs up to 11,500 people from its 0.8 per cent share of the global space economy, according to recent data from the Space Industry Association of Australia.

This is an industry that represents a major investment and export opportunity for our state and that is why the Labor government acted. Labor acted when South Australia signed a memorandum of understanding with the ACT to advocate for the development of the industry, promote national capability and provide discussion on national space policies, programs and strategies. Labor acted when it developed a space innovation and growth strategy and established a $4 million South Australian Space Industry Centre. Labor acted when Adelaide was selected to host the 68th International Astronautical Congress in 2017.

South Australia is home to a concentration of national defence and space assets and research organisations. We have also invested heavily in making sure that we have a workforce for the future. The South Australian Space Industry Centre is the nation's first dedicated centre to grow the local space economy and create future high-tech jobs. We successfully attracted Boeing, the world's largest aerospace company, to create 250 new highly skilled technical and advanced research positions in our state.

We assisted Fleet Space Technologies in their plans to construct a new mission control centre in Adelaide. We invested $250 million to build new science and maths facilities in 139 public schools as part of the STEM Works program. I am very pleased to see that those STEM Works programs are starting to roll out and be opened in our schools. We know that this is the future.

But our space industry operational advantage did not happen by accident. We planned for it, fought for it and, on this side of the benches, we want to see the sector grow. We had a clear policy about creating these opportunities through entities that we created, like Defence SA and Investment Attraction SA.

This is quite a turn of attitude from the government. If it was not for the previous state Labor government, those opposite would have been quite content with Tony Abbott sending our plan for our future subs to Japan. Those opposite had no appetite to stand up for South Australia to proactively advocate for our defence industry. It is only now, when getting the green light from Canberra, that they think it is time to advocate.

South Australia has its advantage in our operational capabilities, in particular our industry and workforce investments. Our state would make an excellent candidate to host the operational headquarters of the national space agency. This model is part of a national strategy, and it is a view that the industry peak body has held for some time.

South Australia is seen as a test bed for new ideas, with exciting developments occurring in future industries, such as space, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and autonomous vehicles. We need to build on this reputation and take advantage of this opportunity as the global economy transitions to new industries and new ways of thinking and doing things. It is incumbent on this new government to continue this positive momentum, to fight for our state and not to turn its back on our local industry, as happened until there was a change of heart on defence. It must stand up for South Australia.

We know what our future is here. The future is the opportunity for high-tech and advanced manufacturing, building on our great history in this area. When we come together and look at these opportunities, we must be together on the same page. This is what the people of South Australia expect from us. This is what the people of South Australia want us to do: to work together, to be as one, to plan for this to happen, to educate our children and to make sure we continue to grow our great state.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (16:31): I rise to speak in support of the Premier's motion to establish the newly founded federal space agency in South Australia. In fact, this is so new that it does not even have an official name.

The space agency was announced in September last year by the federal Liberal government at the Adelaide Convention Centre during the International Astronautical Congress. The announcement was the latest milestone in the Liberal Party's history of supporting Australia in its space endeavours. It was during the leadership of prime minister Robert Menzies and South Australian premier Thomas Playford that the Woomera testing facility was repurposed from British munitions testing to rocketry, elevating Australia to world prominence in this field.

In 1967, Australia became the third country to launch a satellite into space from its own territory, following Russia and the United States, through research developed at the University of Adelaide. Prime minister Harold Holt continued his research and development through the Woomera deep space tracking station, which had a pivotal role in receiving the first images of the moon from NASA's Lunar Orbiter 1 in 1966.

The success continued during prime minister John Gorton's term of office, when a group of university students successfully launched a cube satellite as part of an international partnership with the United States of America. More recently, under the leadership of prime minister John Howard, Australia became the sixth country in the world to pass legislation to accommodate commercial and educational space endeavours with the Space Activities Act, a piece of legislation that has been further strengthened in promoting space endeavours by our very own defence industry minister, Christopher Pyne, while he was minister for industry, innovation and science.

Space activities are not science fiction. Space plays an integral part in our economy. We rely on satellites for our telecommunications, mapping, logistics, navigation, rescue services, weather forecasting, zoning, border protection, environmental management and even emerging practices for farming, as my regional colleagues will appreciate. My portfolios, you might think, are as far removed from space as one could possibly imagine, but no. They benefit from space technologies daily, and so do many other aspects of our lives that go unnoticed.

Our Country Fire Service volunteers rely on satellites for bushfire intelligence. Similarly, our volunteer coastguards depend on satellites for information on fogbanks. Our police and the Metropolitan Fire Service rely on real-time GPS mapping for dispatching. Road safety planning is reliant on ground truth data to help identify operational needs, and our children benefit from satellite technology to predict heatwaves during sport carnivals. This is not technology that is exclusively reserved for either foreign business or research.

The capability for a space industry can be found right here in South Australia. Rapier Electronics is one of only a few companies in this country that can manufacture printed circuit boards that are space capable. Axiom Manufacturing and BAE Systems can provide machine tooling needs to assist in the production of space componentry. Our Customs agency services have a dedicated team for the supply and distribution of space goods.

This is of course is to say nothing of the companies leading the charge in new innovative practices that will allow for new jobs in this state—companies like Fleet, which is dedicated to providing a constellation of cube satellites that will allow for real-time geolocation of assets; Myriota, which, more ambitiously, intends to provide satellite internet services to end users; or even Neumann Space, which is leading the charge on the research and development of new classes of thrusters that will allow for low-cost station keeping, attitude control, on-orbit maintenance and active debris removal.

Beyond these innovative heavyweights are small enterprises that are only now emerging, such as ResearchSat and Fullartonbio's ambitious plan to produce 'bio-boxes', small containers capable of transporting organisms in outer space for biological and pharmaceutical related experience.

Our state also has direct access to launch capabilities through the Equatorial Launch Australia's construction of a launch facility in the Northern Territory, which will open the gateway for commercial enterprises. Adelaide based Southern Launch is also investigating options for the establishment of their own launch facility to provide a space port for future Australian endeavours. Should the need arise in the commercial sector, the government has the opportunity to cooperate with the federal government to potentially reopen the Woomera launch facility for polar orbital launches.

Our resources and facilities are not only restricted to the start-ups and companies of tomorrow; the Space Industry Association of Australia, more commonly known as SIAA, whose white paper on the need for a national space agency was tabled before cabinet early last year when the federal Liberal government was exploring the need to establish a space agency, is based here in Adelaide in Mile End, not 20 minutes drive from this house.

The SIAA provides guidance to industry and accommodates our researchers in participating in international conference and forums. The Defence Teaming Centre in Mawson Lakes provides vital links for our aerospace sector in partnering with new projects that will accommodate multisector collaboration. The Defence Science and Technology Group, based near RAAF Base Edinburgh, also provides input and guidance for technological obstacles and hurdles faced by our burgeoning sector, alongside the good work of our very own Defence SA.

Our capabilities do not stop at technological prowess. Professor Melissa de Zwart, formerly of CSIRO and now Dean of Adelaide Law School, heads a faculty that is training the next generation of lawyers to have the legal challenges faced by space at the forefront of their minds. Meanwhile, at Flinders University, Dr Alice Gorman, a leading scholar on the world stage, is investigating the cultural significance and historical preservation of decommissioned satellites and orbital debris, commonly known as 'space junk', to ensure that items of historic significance are prioritised for preservation, rather than deorbiting or recycling. Given this history, we must get behind this agency for our state.

Federal Labor leader, Bill Shorten, wants the space agency in Canberra. Well, we cannot let him get his way. Mr Shorten will place the agency in Canberra. We need to have it here in South Australia and must do everything we can to keep it that way. For that reason I say let's have a look at where the ACT's contribution to space activities is in comparison with those of our own. The ACT has what they believe is a silver bullet.

The ACT have a project that they believe out-competes our own industries. The ACT have the Buccaneer—a strange choice of name for a single cube satellite—which is a tiny test satellite that is roughly 10 centimetres by 10 centimetres by 10 centimetres, which has been designed by the University of New South Wales, Canberra campus, in conjunction with the Department of Defence. It is a single cube satellite which was built by an interstate university and by federal government department in a restricted area and which was subsequently launched overseas.

The ACT had absolutely no contribution to this prototype. It was designed by an interstate university and a federal department before being launched elsewhere, but they are claiming that it is homegrown all the same. The Buccaneer is a commendable effort and undoubtedly will herald a new partnership between universities and government for space-related projects. However, a single government-funded cube satellite does not compare to the industrious efforts of South Australian start-ups and industry in new space that is geared towards the development of rapid manufacturing.

Why then would the ACT claim the Buccaneer as a sterling example of their aeronautical prowess? The answer is simple. The Australian Capital Territory wants the space agency based there because the Australian Capital Territory wants a bureaucracy-led agency, and so too does federal Labor leader, Bill Shorten. That is their bread and butter: a bigger bureaucracy to prop up the service sector in Manuka, Braddon and Dickson and to fund another roundabout somewhere in Tuggeranong.

The ACT has no further interest in the space agency beyond this. The Liberal Party and its predecessors have given the ACT space resources before. Prime minister Stanley Bruce gave the ACT the Mount Stromlo Observatory in 1923, and prime minister Harold Holt gave them the Honeysuckle Creek tracking station in 1967. Let's look at what happened to these two scientific marvels. Honeysuckle Creek tracking station, which was instrumental in the Apollo missions for tracking humanity's first visitors to the moon, was demolished and is now an empty lot. Mount Stromlo still has not been fully repaired after bushfire damage it sustained in 2003.

Our Labor counterparts in the ACT will have you believe that promoting innovation is solely the responsibility of the federal government, yet South Australia, unlike the ACT, has developed a thriving space sector that has blossomed with next to no input from the federal government. The ACT cannot create and sustain innovation even with federal government support, and South Australia cannot seem to stop making innovation, even with next to no federal government support.

This of course makes you wonder. If South Australia has pulled ahead of the other states in the space sector without support from the federal government, without having a space agency based here, what could be accomplished if we did actually have the support of the federal government by establishing the space agency here within our state? South Australia needs a space agency because South Australian researchers, universities, schools, industry and technology start-ups need direct access to government support to assist with fostering the development of Australian science on a world stage.

We have wonderfully bright people who can do wonderful things; we just need to steer them in the right direction. We have the best researchers, the best schools, the best universities, venture capital facilities, start-ups and emerging technologies in South Australia to accommodate a national space agency. Centred around our innovation hub as well, the future looks very bright. We have a great Premier who is committed to supporting these emerging enterprises. This government believes it is up to the task, and we are ready to go.

We on this side, unlike those opposite, firmly believe that the role of government is not confined to just shaking hands, kissing babies and pork-barrelling constituents leading to an election. The role of government is to provide the resources our people need to do the best they can. We are tasked with shaping our society to be accommodating to new practices and forward-thinking measures. To that end, we believe that a space agency based in Adelaide would help not only our community but also our state, our country, our allies and our trading partners.

I implore the opposition leader to get to the federal Labor leader, Bill Shorten, and to get him behind South Australia. He should back jobs for South Australians, not the ACT bureaucracy. I understand the case for having a space agency in the ACT. The ACT is already home to monolithic departments, numerous commissions and countless agencies. But to put the space agency in the ACT would condemn forward thinking and creativity. The baristas of Belconnen will survive well enough without a bloated bureaucracy ordering more flat whites.

I do not think it is going to be a long time for South Australia to be the world leader in space activities. Our space sector already knows where the potential lies and where the future will lead. The future of space for this country is not in the ACT but here in our very state. I implore everyone to get behind this motion. Condemn the Labor leader, Bill Shorten, who wants to put this agency in Canberra, and let's get the agency in South Australia.

Mr BROWN (Playford) (16:44): I rise to support the motion as amended by the Leader of the Opposition and note this is the third time I have given a speech in this parliament about our Australian space agency. Space has captured the imagination of human beings since time immemorial. Members of this house are clearly no exception.

Paragraph (a) of the member for Dunstan's motion reinforces the statements I have made in the past about the opportunities an Australian space agency presents for South Australia and I wholeheartedly support the paragraph. I also wholeheartedly support the sentiments of paragraph (b). The establishment of a national space agency in July this year is an extremely exciting development and is right to be applauded.

It was worth noting the chain of events set out by the Leader of the Opposition in his contribution. The development of an Australian space agency has not appeared miraculously out of the ether, but is due in no small part to the years of hard work by the former Weatherill Labor government. I must also absolutely applaud the statements of the member for Gibson. I agree that the commonwealth government, be it Abbott, Turnbull or possibly even Dutton, has done next to nothing to support the Australian space industry in South Australia.

Although there have been attempts by those on the other side to wreck the bipartisanship on this issue, I have acknowledged previously and I continue to acknowledge today that there is fierce agreement in this place about the suitability of South Australia as the home for the Australian space industry. Indeed, I hope I have set out in previous contributions a compelling argument for why the industry hub of the space agency should be centred in Mawson Lakes, in my electorate.

Members interjecting:

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Duluk): Order! Members on my right, the member for Playford has the right to be heard in silence.

The Hon. V.A. Chapman interjecting:

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Duluk): Deputy Premier, nevertheless, he has the right to be heard in silence.

Mr BROWN: Is it going the way you anticipated? I bet it is not. Mawson Lakes in the wider northern suburbs already has a proud history of achievement in the space sector. Indeed, the WRESAT 1 satellite, Australia's first satellite and one of the first in the world, as mentioned by the Leader of the Opposition, was constructed at the weapons research establishment in Salisbury in 1967. Countless other advancements in space and rocket technologies took place at the Weapons Research Establishment in Salisbury and at the Defence Science and Technology Group farther north at Edinburgh.

Building on this northern legacy, Mawson Lakes today contains a rare coincidence of the industrial and institutional elements which will be highly relevant to the work of an Australian space agency. I believe that locating the operational headquarters of the national space agency in this existing de facto space precinct makes perfect sense. It is the home of the operational headquarters which is the real prize in a national space agency, not mere bureaucratic jobs. It is here that the agency's innovation will be demanded, developed and refined. It is from this operational headquarters that lasting benefits for our state and the northern suburbs will flow.

The location of the Australian space agency's operational headquarters in Mawson Lakes will not only nurture the many existing space-related operations located there but also provide a focal point to attract such operations from around the country and even from around the world. This is how a national space agency can best benefit our state.

It is worth noting that South Australia's proud legacy in the space industry has been largely centred on the northern suburbs of Adelaide. This fact, along with the northern suburbs relative geographic proximity to the wider expanses of our state, makes the case for a northern suburbs home for the Australian space agency's operational headquarters compelling, more compelling than any other sites that have also been suggested.

One such suggested site is the Tonsley innovation district, which does exceptional work but which lacks the space-related legacy, the existing industrial and institutional presence and makes much less geographic sense. The Tonsley district does have something going for it, though. It is located in federal and state electorates which are currently held by members of respective Liberal governments.

There have been whispers, even in the corridors of this building, of favours requested and deals done to shore up marginal members. It would be a disastrous shame if the hard-fought legacy developed in the northern suburbs was ignored in favour of petty, terrestrial considerations such as this. To seek to obliterate the proud legacy of the northern suburbs as the centre of South Australia's space industry for base political reasons would be a shame.

In closing, it is marvellous that members on both sides of the house are so eager to see our state reach for the stars. However, in this instance it is the Leader of the Opposition's amended version of the motion which more accurately articulates how we can best turn our journey into space from imagination to reality. I commend the amended motion to the house.

Ms LUETHEN (King) (16:49): I am really excited to speak on this motion and I thank the Premier for his advocacy in fighting for the space agency to be located in South Australia. We are excited because South Australia has an existing and growing space industry and we recognise that there is scope for even more. This fight for the space agency to be located in South Australia is so critical because our Marshall Liberal government is dedicated and committed to creating jobs and growth in South Australia, and I support the bid for the space agency to be located here.

Today, I am going to outline some of the reasons why it is such a great idea, and ask anyone who might listen to my speech to join in and advocate along with us for the space agency to be in South Australia. We even have the support of the Liberal Prime Minister. In September 2017, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull declared, 'The future is in SA,' because of our defence and space industries. The federal government announced a national space agency in 2017.

Why should the space industry be based in South Australia and not in Canberra, where the federal Labor opposition and Bill Shorten are proposing it be put? We believe we have the capability to deliver it right here in South Australia. We have a rapidly growing space innovation ecosystem and we are well placed to become Australia's hub for future space industry development.

Already home to over 60 space-related organisations, South Australia is committed to developing strategies to grow the local industry and to increase research and development collaboration as well as international engagement. Launched in September 2017, the new South Australian Space Industry Centre marked the creation of the nation's first dedicated centre to grow the local space economy and create future high-tech jobs.

The South Australian Space Industry Centre will build on the work of the previous space industry office at Defence SA to drive space industry innovation, research and entrepreneurial development. The team promotes an active network and enhances co-operation among the main stakeholders of the space innovation ecosystem, including facilitating opportunities for engagement with international partnerships. Locating the space agency in SA makes perfect economic sense for South Australia.

In June 2018, Steven Marshall announced that South Australia will be home to the first company in Australia with the capability to design and manufacture satellites and payloads of up to 300 kilograms, with Italian company SITAEL setting up its headquarters in Adelaide. The Premier said the establishment of SITAEL Australia will further cement South Australia's international reputation as a hub of innovation and an ideal environment to develop fresh ideas in the space industry. He said:

SITAEL is an innovative company leading the development of next-generation small satellites, and their decision to expand into South Australia demonstrates confidence in our state's growing space industry.

SITAEL’s move into Adelaide will create high-tech jobs for South Australians, open up new collaboration opportunities with local companies and strengthen our state’s reputation…We are focused on building our thriving space industry to make it a key contributor to the growth and diversification of South Australia’s economy.

The growth of space and sustainable defence industries in South Australia plays a key role in the state's economic development. The main capabilities and expertise are concentrated on earth observation, satellite communications and space-based position navigation and timing. These space-enabling services support activities across a variety of sectors, including communication, environmental monitoring and mapping.

The space industry contributes to the development of other priority sectors for South Australia, including defence, agriculture, mining and tourism, as well as services for the community, such as health and education. The South Australian Space Industry Centre has carriage of the state's space strategy—the Space Innovation and Growth Strategy (South Australia) Action Plan—from 2016 to 2020. This strategy is underpinned by three key pillars:

growing South Australia's economy through space activity;

invigorating South Australia's space innovation ecosystem. The aspiration to inspire and support the next generation to develop skills that will push forward the frontiers of scientific knowledge; and

engaging international cooperation with lead countries. Enhancing our competitive edge in export markets and targeting market-led investments in leading-edge technology where we encourage foreign investment as well as attracting entrepreneurs' talent, researchers and students.

This is a growth industry. We must seize this opportunity for our current and future generations. In recent years, the space economy has experienced exponential global growth. Revenue from space-related activities in 2015 was about US$323 billion, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 9.52 per cent from 1998 to 2015. This is more than three times the annual growth rate of world GDP which was 2.87 per cent for the same period.

The president of the Italian Space Agency also welcomed the move of Italian company SITAEL to set up its headquarters in Adelaide and said that in the last two years the Australian space sector has grown very fast, with the new Australian Space Agency proof of a forward-looking political vision that puts space infrastructure at the centre of social and economic development.

Our Liberal government believes in creating the capacity of this wonderful state. We believe our role is to attract investment and further growth of the space sector in South Australia as it thereby will foster a sustainable industry. There are so many benefits of space-based applications. Some of these daily benefits include increasing efficiency in agriculture and fisheries. For example, satellite enabled applications improve the mapping of crop land in need of irrigation, harvest forecasts and fisheries control. This guarantees better food quality and security while safeguarding the environment.

Secondly, space-based applications help regions access knowledge and information. Telecommunications satellites support communication needs when earth-based solutions are limited. This reduces regional imbalances by serving communities in remote areas without internet access. Thirdly, they improve crisis response. Satellite services help shorten response times in emergencies. Swift damage images and assessment maps contribute to more efficient planning and relief efforts and help guide rescue services.

Fourthly, they protect the environment and help tackle climate change. Environment monitoring provides crucial information on vegetation, ocean currents, water quality, national resources, atmospheric pollutants, greenhouse gases and the ozone layer. Fifthly, they increase security. Satellite positioning, satellite communications and earth observation contribute to detecting illegal immigration, prevent cross-border organised crime and combat piracy at sea.

Globally, the space industry is worth more than $450 billion. In Australia, it is worth about $4 billion and employs 11,500 workers. The global space industry is growing rapidly and it is crucial that Australia, and more specifically South Australia, is part of this growth. What a wonderful thing for South Australia! It will bring new jobs, new investment and boost our economy, not to mention that a space agency in South Australia really is super cool. This morning I ran this fight to have this space agency past my eight-year-old son and he agreed. He said to me that his dream is to fly through the air.

We can excite our students by the prospect of being the space capital. One of the most enjoyable tasks in my role as MP is taking students on tours of Parliament House and involving them in the learning of procedures by asking them to introduce and debate a bill. The next one will be to establish a space agency in South Australia and hear their ideas on why this is such a cool idea.

I commend the Premier for this motion, for his ongoing leadership and for doing all he can to advocate for the space agency to be located in South Australia. This will create real change, jobs and an opportunity for our next generation. It is certainly an opportunity that we hope to attract bipartisan support for, and I commend the motion to all members in the house. Hashtag #ourfutureisbright.

Mr PATTERSON (Morphett) (16:59): I rise to support this motion moved by the Premier acknowledging that this house recognises the significant opportunity that space-related industries provide to the South Australian economy. Any mention of a space industry really causes one's thoughts to turn towards rockets to the moon and interplanetary missions to explore the solar system and beyond, all the province of large international players such as the United States, Russia and the former Soviet Union; however, in this modern world, everyday space provides essential data for banking, TV, satellite communications, internet access and, more recently, GPS simply to know where you are.

Space underpins almost every part of the broader economy, with space-related products and services being used in virtually every sector of the Australian economy. They are important to the ongoing economic productivity of industry sectors, including transport logistics, mining and agriculture. As early as 1960, the government recognised the value of space applications to the management and economic development of Australia and also to its national security. South Australia has a proud history in the area of space. From the late 1950s, the weapons research establishment commenced the Skylark sounding program at the Woomera rocket range. This would lead to Woomera becoming the hub of early space activities here in Australia.

Operating until 1975, this program was conducted in conjunction with the University of Adelaide. It carried out upper atmospheric research that made important contributions to understanding the factors governing Australia's meteorology. Australian and British researchers made substantial contributions to X-ray, infrared and ultraviolet astronomy using these Skylark rockets that took measurements in the upper atmosphere. Among those researchers was Professor John Carver from Adelaide University, and in 1967, the United States kindly and unexpectedly donated a Redstone rocket to Australia that was capable of launching a satellite.

With the launch vehicle suddenly available, the weapons research establishment satellite (WRESAT) was designed, constructed and launched in only 11 months—a very quick turnaround—and relied upon a collaboration between the weapons research establishment and the University of Adelaide, headed up by Professor John Carver. WRESAT's scientific instrument package was derived from the Australian upper atmospheric sounding rocket programs. This instrument package was designed, set up and built in the space simulation chamber in the physics department building in Adelaide University on North Terrace.

Launched on 27 November 1967, WRESAT gave Australia entry into an exclusive and limited number of countries that had orbited a national satellite launched from their own nation. The WRESAT lasted 10 days in orbit and confirmed the findings of the sounding rockets. So, by the end of the sixties, not only had the Australian space program launched a satellite but it was a crucial participant in NASA's space program, providing tracking stations including providing communications between the moon landing mission and NASA.

While Australia continued to be involved in the space industry, the level of investment from government has focused more on research capability and moved away from a launch capability, with the Skylark sounding program finishing in the 1970s. Professor Carver was the professor who invited my father to work at the physics department at Adelaide University and it was where later, in the 1980s, in that same room as the space simulation room, he began making mirror components for a gamma ray telescope.

Making use of the continuing relationship between Adelaide University and the DSTO, allowed the G-Range telescope to be located on a site in Woomera. As I spoke of in my maiden speech, this allowed me to visit the defunct and derelict launchpads and empty mission control buildings in Woomera.

This certainly gave me an interest in the space industry, and as a university student I was fortunate to spend eight weeks, between December and February, based at the Australian National University Mount Stromlo Research Facility, which of course predates that which the member for Gibson mention of what happened in 2003. This involved researching far-off galaxies in the infrared domain. Unfortunately, it is probably beyond me now to remember how we did that, but I think it involved doppler shifts.

Following on from this, my first undergraduate work was at British Aerospace helping in the design and construction of a digital test harness for a satellite, which was used to simulate the function of the satellite receiver for the RadioAstron project. So, for me, this announcement and this motion moved by the Premier to try to bring the space agency here to South Australia is exciting, and it is great that this government is once again pursuing the space industry in South Australia.

Australia became an early adopter of satellite technologies and is well recognised today as a sophisticated and extensive user of space-based services and space-related data. This space-related data is what is growing and driving the growth in the space industry at present. The international space industry is a rapidly growing market, averaging a yearly growth of approximately 10 per cent, and the global space economy now is worth around $450 billion, growing to about a $725 billion industry over the next 20 years.

Australia has so far captured only a very small percentage of the existing market. This future market is potentially worth an extra hundreds of billions of dollars, and it is expected that the new activities will make up a significant portion of this amount. This future market is likely to comprise downstream use of new satellite data, either positioning navigational or earth imaging, along with upstream opportunities in the area of small satellites and consumer electronics in space.

This is to the advantage of high-tech countries with less of an established space industry, as this new emerging market will depend less on establishing infrastructure and businesses and more on innovation and technology transfer, but we must act now to take advantage and compete in the space-based market in the future. It is a global industry and growing, and so how we use space will change how we live and work, including providing new opportunities for communication in regional and remote areas, and we have heard many members on this side of the house speak about how important the regions are.

There is huge potential for new players, and the time to act is now. More broadly, the Australian government is also looking to encourage and support the space industry in Australia. An expert panel review of Australia's space industry capacity was conducted in 2017, and one of the key recommendations was the establishment of a dedicated space agency. At the time of the review, only two OECD countries were without a space agency—Ireland and Australia—and so it is fantastic that we have now become one of the OECD countries to incorporate a space agency.

This occurred on 1 July 2018 and saw the recent establishment of the Australian space agency, with Dr Megan Clark being appointed as the interim head of the agency. I applaud the federal government for its decision to establish a national space agency. The agency itself will act as a coordinator of civil space policy across the government and will allow the government to develop the international networks needed to allow Australia's space industry to achieve its full potential.

The federal government estimates that Australia could triple its current income from the space industry towards $12 billion and create 20,000 jobs through the establishment of the national space agency. These are jobs that South Australia wants and needs, especially for the younger generation. We have seen how important it is to try to provide employment to keep them within this state. The Australian space agency will support the long-term development of space technologies. It will grow our domestic space industry and allow businesses across the economy to prosper and enter new markets and create jobs.

The motion before us contends, and quite rightly so, that the Australian space agency should be based in South Australia as our state has a longstanding involvement in both defence and space-related fields and has demonstrated both capability and expertise in these industries. Our state has provided the industry with NASA astronaut Andy Thomas. Dr Thomas is a strong advocate for South Australia's bid for the national space agency. He has travelled to space four times and was the deputy director of NASA's Astronaut Office for a period of time.

It is worth understanding what forces are at play. Recently, I represented the Premier at the United Nations Association of Australia (South Australian branch) event, which hosted guest speaker, Flavia Nardini, from Fleet Space Technologies. An unheralded success story of the United Nations is the Outer Space Treaty, which is a rules-based international space order to make sure that outer space is peaceful and not contested. Since 1967, this has not been violated.

Flavia Nardini spoke about how new space technologies are changing industries in Australia and around the world. Flavia compared what is happening with satellite technology to the evolution of computing. Initially a computer used to fit in a room and now our modern day iPhones have as much computing power as those first computers and fit into our pockets. Similarly, satellites were large and expensive in the early days and also the most recent past. As an example, the National Broadband Network's Sky Muster satellites cost $500 million each, weigh 6.4 tonnes, take five years to build and they operate in a high space orbit.

Expensive satellites such as this are mainly the game of governments and big businesses, but satellites are now going the same way as computers, with miniaturisation of electronics allowing instrumentation to be compacted into satellites the size of shoeboxes or nanosatellites. They weigh in the order of a few kilograms and, because they are so small, they can be launched in a lower orbit as they have less chance of collision.

The satellites have a short life expectancy and can re-enter the earth's atmosphere in between three to four years, where they burn up and are no threat to ground level. This low weight allows a launch rocket with just a few kilograms payload capacity spare to offer up a spot for a nanosatellite at a cost of $200,000. In fact, responding to the surge in nanosatellites, there are a number of rocket companies looking to provide regular launch programs to provide a market similar to Uber, where the launch of a nanosatellite can be booked online.

At the same time, we are seeing the growth of a connected world via the internet of things. Over the last 20 years, we have seen the internet brought to people, with approximately three billion people worldwide connected, mainly through terrestrial based means; however, over 95 per cent of the earth does not have connectivity. This is occurring at the same time as we are living through the fourth industrial revolution, which includes bringing the internet of things, where everything that has a chip will be online, and this will grow the number of devices that are connected online towards 100 billion devices.

For this online connectivity, it relies on low bandwidth, low range and low cost connectivity that can be supplied by nanosatellites. These satellites are creating the next internet. At the same time, these nanosatellites will open up commercial opportunities, such as being able to be used to track illegal maritime behaviour. In agriculture, for example, there is significant potential, with the connection of things to benefit farmers deliver the food that we eat. One thing holding farmers back—and we have heard it in this chamber—is the connectivity and lack of communications they have on big landholdings.

This is what is fuelling the growth in the space industry and has seen growth in the space industry in South Australia as well. Fleet Technology was started three years ago by Flavia, who was a rocket scientist at the European Space Agency who moved to Adelaide. At the time of her moving, there was only one space start-up company, with most of the space work being defence related. Twelve months ago, there were 30 of these businesses and now there are approximately 60 companies employing approximately 800 people.

Recently, on 27 July this year, Fleet Technologies opened a ground station at Pinkerton Plains, 80 kilometres north of Adelaide, to complete the mission control centre that they have also built at their headquarters in Adelaide. This ground station will allow the company to track Fleet's two nanosatellites, due to be launched later this year, and also the ground station, which would allow other space start-ups across Australia and the world to monitor their own nanosatellites and payloads at a fraction of the cost of the larger operators. Flavia Nardini stated:

We're democratising space and advancing global collaboration!

…The ground station launch cements our commitment to driving quicker access to data to help transform billion-dollar industries, from precision agriculture on isolated rural farms in Tasmania, maritime monitoring in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and food supply chain management in Asia.

This is the first piece of commercial space infrastructure that has been built in Australia since the creation of the national space agency.

Additionally, in June this year the member for King and I attended the eNVIEe awards for the Flinders University 2018 Venture Dorm graduates. Before us were start-up businesses, and included amongst them was Ping. Ping is a software and service platform business in the acoustic sector, which has developed a unique acoustic surveillance tool. It has developed a patented listening device that is set to solve a $5 billion industry maintenance problem. By measuring acoustic signatures, its technology is able to record turbine damage and then advise turbine owners of this damage. The tool aims to transform how wind farms are managed and maintained.

At present, it is necessary for wind farm owners to keep a close eye on their wind turbines to identify when a fault or damage occurs. By identifying faults early, it is possible to reduce the severity of the damage and so reduce maintenance costs. Ping has partnered with another local company, Myriota, to deliver wind farm monitoring. Myriota connects huge populations of long battery life Internet of Things devices by sending small packets of data at an ultra-low cost from any location worldwide. These examples and others that members in this house have spoken of previously show the vibrant commercial space industry that is currently underway in South Australia.

In September 2017, the previous government created the South Australian Space Industry Centre (SASIC) to drive space industry innovation, research and entrepreneurial developments. It shows its commitment to this bipartisan approach that we are taking today. The SASIC will support space entrepreneurs and create an environment where new space technologies can be rapidly developed.

This Marshall Liberal government is committed to maximising the benefit to the South Australian economy by investing in space-related industries. The space industry in this state has enormous capability in terms of the space sector, and enormous potential going forward to be self-sustaining and operating close to business. The national space agency needs to be located near a business hub, not locked away in the rarefied air of Canberra, surrounded by bureaucracy and public servants. It would be a dangerous step to isolate the agency in Canberra, as federal Labor's Bill Shorten proposes should he become the next Prime Minister.

Just as South Australia was the cradle for this country's first foray into space in the 1950s and 1960s, the state is now the cradle for what promises to be transformational—Australia's next big industry. Dr Megan Clark is currently investigating the location of the national space agency, and the Premier has said publicly many times that this government will provide a clear, competitive and compelling case for locating the national space agency right here in South Australia. This government will devote all resources and time necessary to convince the selection process that Adelaide is the ideal location for the new space agency. I call on all members in this house to support this government's bid for the space agency to be based here in South Australia.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Minister for Education) (17:18): I take this opportunity to thank all those members of this house who have made a positive contribution to the debate and supported this motion.

It is very important that we recognise the opportunities of the space industry; that we applaud the federal government for their decision to establish a national space agency; that we condemn the federal Labor Party for having a policy that the agency should be based in Canberra, when it should be here; and that we support the South Australian government's bid for the space agency to be based in Adelaide. Of course, we are very pleased to continue the bipartisan approach for South Australia to continue its leading role in the establishment and operations of a national space agency. This house should stand in unity on all these matters, and I therefore commend the motion to the house.

Amendment carried; motion as amended carried.

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