ISSN: 1836-1838

Date presented to Premier: 10 September 2020


To:

Hon Steven Marshall MP

Premier of South Australia

This annual report will be presented to Parliament to meet the statutory reporting requirements of (insert relevant acts and regulations) and the requirements of Premier and Cabinet Circular PC013 Annual Reporting.

This report is verified to be accurate for the purposes of annual reporting to the Parliament of South Australia.

Submitted on behalf of Defence SA by:

Richard Price

Chief Executive

Date 10th September 2020 Signature


From the Chief Executive

Richard PriceThis year has again provided an opportunity for South Australia to further cement its position as the Defence State and to emerge as the centre of Australia’s space industry development.

The 2019-20 financial year presented a number of unique challenges for the defence and space industries with the global COVID-19 pandemic affecting every business. The pandemic has demonstrated the importance of these industries to South Australia’s economy as their ability to continue working throughout the crisis will drive the state’s recovery efforts.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also seen an increased appetite for the development of sovereign capability, which aligns with Defence SA’s work throughout the year to support local industry participation in global supply chains for major projects such as the Attack class submarines and Hunter class frigates. The Pacific International Maritime Exposition in Sydney in October 2019 provided an excellent platform for companies to engage with potential supply chain partners.

A key priority for the state is ensuring that South Australia has the right mix of highly skilled workers in place to undertake major defence projects. In order to do this, Defence SA commenced a number of initiatives to support the growth of our existing workforce. This involves a multi-faced approach to attract experienced highly skilled workers, upskill workers and encourage the next generation of workers to consider a career in defence and space industries.

The South Australian Defence Industry Workforce and Skills Strategy was launched in September 2019 and two Defence Industry Workforce and Skills roundtables were held with the heads of major defence companies and other key stakeholders. The Premier’s Defence Industry Scholarship Program was launched for STEM university students to undertake placements within the defence industry and a new campaign to build awareness of the lifelong careers in the defence industry in South Australia commenced in June 2020.

South Australia is also in a prime position to take advantage of opportunities across the information warfare and cyber sectors and Defence SA undertook a number of stakeholder engagement activities throughout the year to support this strategic objective.

A number of exciting developments occurred for the state’s space industry. South Australia again hosted two Australian Space Forums, with the February 2020 forum attracting a record more than 1000 national and international registered attendees and more than 40 exhibitors. The February forum coincided with the official opening of the Australian Space Agency and SmartSat CRC at the Lot Fourteen innovation precinct.

Defence SA’s Defence and Space Landing Pad at Lot Fourteen is in place to support companies in their transition to operate in South Australia and eight companies signed agreements to establish a presence at the landing pad.

In the research sector, the Defence Innovation Partnership contributed $600,000 to projects in Round 3 of the Collaborative Research Fund. The Defence Innovation Partnership continues to create opportunities for collaboration across the Defence, defence industry and research sectors, which is vital for the industry’s development.

On 1 July 2019, Veteran’s SA transferred into Defence SA which created opportunities for increased collaboration across the Veteran’s community and defence industry. Veteran’s SA continued their support of those who have served in the Australian Defence Force and their families through the Partnerships Hub and grants program.

The defence and space industries remain at the forefront of South Australia’s plans for economic growth. Through challenging circumstances significant progress was made across both industries that will provide a strong foundation for future continued success.

Richard Price

Chief Executive

Defence SA


Contents

Contents

Our strategic focus

Our organisational structure as of 30 June 2020

Changes to the agency

The Minister

Our Executive team

The agency’s performance

Performance at a glance

Agency contribution to whole of government objectives

Agency specific objectives and performance

Corporate performance summary

Employment opportunity programs

Agency performance management and development systems

Work health, safety and return to work programs

Executive employment in the agency

Financial performance

Financial performance at a glance

Consultants disclosure

Contractors disclosure

Risk management

Risk and audit at a glance

Fraud detected in the agency

Strategies implemented to control and prevent fraud

Public interest disclosure

Reporting required under any other act or regulation

Reporting required under the Carers’ Recognition Act 2005