ISSN: 1836-1838
Date presented to Minister: 27 September 2022
To:
Hon Susan Close MP
Deputy Premier
Minister for Defence and Space Industries
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 27 September 2022
From the Chief Executive
South Australia’s defence and space sectors continue to be key contributors to the state’s economic prosperity and future growth.
Economic opportunities across the focus areas of shipbuilding, information warfare, defence science and technology research and space were again prevalent in 2021-22.
In September the Australian Government announced the decision to move to a nuclear-powered submarine build under the AUKUS agreement, with at least eight submarines to be built in South Australia at the Osborne Naval Shipyard. This decision, along with the decision to retain the Collins class submarine full-cycle docking and life-of-type extension in South Australia and build of the Hunter class frigates reaffirms our position as the centre of our nation’s naval shipbuilding endeavours.
Much of our focus as an agency continues to be ensuring that we have the highly skilled workforce and a competitive supply chain ready to undertake these major naval shipbuilding programs, as well as other rapidly growing sectors, including information warfare and space.
The South Australian Government is committed to prioritising investment in defence industry skills and the planned establishment of five technical colleges will support this. The next stage of the Line Zero Factory of the Future will see the introduction of a new $4m Manufacturing Growth Accelerator Program which will bring companies, researchers and students together to focus on ‘innovative applications’ of manufacturing technology.
Supporting local industry to participate in the supply chain of major projects remains a high priority for the agency. With the return of face-to-face trade exhibitions post-COVID, Defence SA had one of our most successful event attendances ever with the 2022 Indo Pacific International Maritime Exhibitions generating record interest from local industry, providing vital engagement opportunities for our SMEs with major defence primes.
South Australia also set up a dedicated South Australian Nuclear-Powered Submarine Taskforce, which will support the national taskforce to deliver an optimal pathway for the submarine program, keeping local industry capability at the forefront.
In February it was announced that South Australia will be home to a new purpose-built 737 Deep Maintenance and Modification Facility under a partnership between the South Australian Government and the Department of Defence. The new facility will solidify South Australia as the Australian Defence Force’s information warfare hub, with the Edinburgh Defence Precinct the heart of the nation’s capabilities. We also conducted the first Aerospace and Information Warfare forum in Adelaide reflecting the increasing importance of the Edinburgh Defence Precinct.
South Australia’s space industry continued its upward trajectory, with the state heavily focussed on supporting the Australian Space Agency’s strategy to build sovereign space satellite capability and the National Space Mission for Earth Observation program, with many local companies making advancements in this area.
The announcement of a new Australian Space Park will see the country’s first dedicated space satellite manufacturing hub developed in Adelaide, with operations to commence in 2024. The South Australian Government has also embarked on a mission to launch its own state satellite in 2023. Access to space is important for the continuing growth of our collaborative and innovative space ecosystem, creating unprecedented opportunities for local businesses to deliver across the entire space value chain.
Supporting the development of the space workforce and inspiring our children to consider a career in STEM has not been overlooked and we are actively supporting South Australian students and young entrepreneurs through education programs, in partnership with the Andy Thomas Space Foundation, and the Venture Catalyst Space Program.
Funding for the Defence Innovation Partnership was renewed for a further four years, with a new Activator fund to fast-track specific projects that build and demonstrate capability that address our strategic opportunities. The DIP team attended major events in partnership with our three universities, providing an opportunity to showcase the talent of our researchers to potential national and international collaborators and funders.
If the COVID-19 pandemic and recent global events and geopolitical uncertainties have taught us anything it is the need to ensure we have sovereign capability across a range of industries, with defence and space at the top of the list. Critical to this is the development of local industry, infrastructure, and workforce capabilities. Significant progress was made in 2021-22 and we will continue these efforts to reinforce our position as the Defence State and centre-of-gravity for space activities in the nation.
Richard Price
Chief Executive
Defence SA
Contents
Our organisational structure as at 30 June 2022
Legislation administered by the agency
Other related agencies (within the Minister’s area/s of responsibility)
Agency contribution to whole of Government objectives
Agency specific objectives and performance
Employment opportunity programs
Agency performance management and development systems
Work health, safety and return to work programs
Executive employment in the agency
Financial performance at a glance
Strategies implemented to control and prevent fraud
Reporting required under any other act or regulation
Reporting required under the Carers’ Recognition Act 2005
Number of public complaints reported
Appendix: Audited financial statements 2021-22
Overview: about the agency
Our strategic focus
Purpose:
Defence SA is South Australia’s lead government agency for all defence related matters and is a single point of contact for all defence stakeholders, streamlining their interaction across the South Australian Government. The agency captures valuable investment opportunities in the shipbuilding, defence science and research, information warfare and space domains.
The Defence SA Advisory Board provides high-level strategic advice to promote the growth of the defence industry in South Australia and plays a key role in guiding the state’s defence strategy.
Within Defence SA sits the Defence Innovation Partnership, South Australian Space Industry Centre and Veterans SA.
(note: Veterans SA annual activities will be presented in a separate Annual Report to be submitted to the Minister for Veteran’s Affairs for tabling in the Parliament of South Australia and will therefore not be detailed in this report)
Defence Innovation Partnership – fosters collaboration and engagement between government, universities/research organisations and industry. The Defence Innovation Partnership helps deliver innovative solutions to Defence by creating connections between researchers, industry, and Defence; building and supporting defence-relevant collaborations through the Collaborative Research Fund; attracting research and development funding to South Australia; and supporting the translation of defence and national security research and development.
South Australian Space Industry Centre (SASIC) – provides a whole-of-state-government focal point for local industry and international companies and organisations to drive space industry innovation, research, and entrepreneurial development.
Vision
| Defence SA | By 2030 South Australia will be recognised as an international leader in the defence and space industries by building on its highly skilled workforce, world-leading technology and infrastructure and culture of innovation driven by focused research and development. |
| Defence Innovation Partnership | A trusted, forward-thinking, and sustainable defence-relevant research, development, and innovation ecosystem, supporting Australia’s defence and national security needs. |
| SASIC | A thriving and enduring South Australian space ecosystem, supporting Australia’s national space strategy, building on the opportunities of NewSpace. |
Mission/Values
| Defence SA | To establish and maintain a competitive business environment in the defence sector. |
| Defence Innovation Partnership | Catalyse a trusted and recognised R&D ecosystem that delivers valued outcomes to its stakeholders. |
| SASIC | To grow a thriving and enduring South Australian space sector, in partnership with industry. |
Our functions, objectives and deliverables
| Defence SA |
|
| Defence Innovation Partnership | Stimulating business capability by aligning local research and development, infrastructure, and regulation with industry needs, in support of the Defence State Strategy 2030. |
| SASIC | Implementation of the Space Strategy, by cultivating South Australia as a centre of gravity for space activities:
|
Our organisational structure as at 30 June 2022
Changes to the agency
During 2021-22 the state election resulted in two separate ministers being appointed for the defence and space, and veterans’ portfolios. In April 2022, Veterans SA began reporting to the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs (the Hon Geoff Brock MP) and Defence SA began reporting to the Minister for Defence and Space Industries. There were no further changes to the agency’s structure and objectives as a result of internal reviews or machinery of government changes.
Our Minister
The Hon Susan Close MP is the Deputy Premier and Minister for Defence and Space Industries. She is also Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science and Minister for Climate, Environment and Water.
The Minister oversees:
- Defence Industry Development
- Defence Innovation Partnership
- South Australian Space Industry Centre
Our Executive team
As at 30 June 2022, Defence SA’s Executive team comprised:
- Richard Price, Chief Executive, Defence SA, South Australian Space Industry Centre and Veterans SA
Richard is responsible for providing executive and strategic leadership to Defence SA, the South Australian Space Industry Centre, the Defence Innovation Partnership and Veterans SA. The Chief Executive is responsible for the attraction, development and growth of sustainable industry business initiatives to establish a long-term viable Defence presence and promote defence and space industries in South Australia.
- Reg Carruthers, Executive Director, Defence and Space
Reg is responsible for initiatives to support and grow the defence and space industries in South Australia.
- Sumen Rai, Director Defence Innovation Partnership
Sumen is responsible for leading the Defence Innovation Partnership team, which builds and supports collaborative defence-relevant research and development in South Australia.
- Jessica Hernandez, Director Marketing and Communications
Jessica is responsible for the oversight and management of all marketing and communications activities for Defence SA, including events and tradeshows.
- Ilona Horan, Director Corporate Services and Projects, Infrastructure and Investment
Ilona oversees the agency’s entire corporate services functions, including the management of human resources, WHS, procurement and contracting, while also supporting defence and space organisations to invest in South Australia.
- Peter Murdock, Director, Finance and Systems
Peter is responsible for overseeing the agency’s financial resources, including budget planning, finance management and legislative reporting and the agency’s cyber security program.
Legislation administered by the agency
Defence SA does not administer any legislation.
Other related agencies (within the Minister’s area/s of responsibility)
Department for Industry Innovation and Science
The agency’s performance
Performance at a glance
- Hosted a Defence Cyber Security Forum in collaboration with AustCyber (SA Node) and the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre, to assist businesses build cyber resilience and enhance their defence supply chain prospects.
- The decision to construct a four bay Boeing 737 Deep Maintenance Facility for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) adjacent to RAAF Base Edinburgh.
- The decision to retain the Collins class submarine Full-cycle docking and Life-of-type extension in South Australia.
- Supported 43 students to undertake their defence industry placements under the Defence Industry Scholarship Program.
- Showcased and promoted South Australian supply chain capabilities in the maritime sector as well as the land, aerospace, research and innovation, cyber and space sectors, creating opportunities for collaboration at Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition in Sydney in May 2022.
- Workforce attraction campaign undertaken in partnership with major defence companies and SMEs across South Australia.
- Achieved full occupancy of the Defence and Space Landing Pad at Lot Fourteen.
- Established the South Australian Nuclear-powered Submarine Taskforce to support the Australian Government’s Taskforce initiatives and strive for maximum local industry content in the nuclear-powered submarine program.
- Conducted the inaugural Aerospace and Information Warfare Forum focussed on SA industry research and capabilities.
- The Defence Innovation Partnership (DIP) program was renewed for four years in the 2021-22 budget, with a total of $10 million of state government, Australian Government and university funding.
- DIP funded five collaborative projects through the Collaborative Research Fund Round 5, leveraging over $1 Million of contributions from industry, universities and Defence.
- Supported the Andy Thomas Space Foundation to host two Australian Space Forums (September 2021 and March 2022) providing the opportunity for Australian space stakeholders to collaborate, connect and explore new opportunities with national and international attendees.
- Supported and contributed to GRAVITY 04, a space technology innovation program managed by Deloitte, exploring new uses for space data and space capability, activating the space ecosystem.
- Supported and assisted in the development of a business case for a space focused manufacturing hub through access to Australian Government grants provided under the Modern Manufacturing Initiative. The Australian Space Park at Adelaide Airport was announced as a first of its kind facility in the nation valued at over $66 million.
- Supported the growth of the NewSpace ecosystem, including leading a state taskforce to support space launch activities from Whalers Way, west of Port Lincoln.
Agency contribution to whole of Government objectives
South Australia has received significant investment to put the state at the centre of the nation’s space endeavours. The Australian Space Agency, the SmartSat Collaborative Research Centre and SASIC are the centrepiece of a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem contributing to South Australia’s thriving space economy. The Australian Space Agency has set an ambitious goal to triple the size of Australia’s domestic space industry to $12 billion by 2030. South Australia is consolidating and refining its activities to best support the state’s space industry in collaboration with the Australian Space Agency. The state government and Australian Government has invested in the development of Australian Space Park in Adelaide, Australia’s first dedicated space manufacturing hub, providing a vital manufacturing link to the space industry value chain.
South Australia’s defence and space precincts and facilities continue to be enhanced to ensure growth of sovereign capability including the Tonsley Innovation District based, Line Zero, Factory of the Future. Focussed on leveraging opportunities for companies linked to the multi-billion-dollar continuous naval shipbuilding program in the state, a new Manufacturing Growth Accelerator Program has been established. The new program will enable companies to test their products and systems for potential application in shipbuilding and adjacent sectors.
The South Australian Government, in partnership with defence industry, the Australian Government and our local education institutions, is committed to supporting and developing the state’s defence and space industries workforce. A number of key initiatives are in place to ensure South Australia has the highly skilled workforce in place to deliver key projects now and into the future including public marketing campaigns.
Defence SA is committed to supporting the development of five new technical colleges in the state and ensuring that defence and space careers are captured in the skills considered for their development.
| Agency’s contribution |
| Australian Space Agency – SASIC continues to collaborate with the Australian Space Agency to support its strategy, initiatives and activities to stimulate the South Australian space ecosystem.
Defence Job Attraction – To support the growth of South Australia’s highly-skilled defence industry workforce, Defence SA has two marketing campaigns, aimed at educating and attracting skilled and future workers to defence industry jobs in South Australia. SASAT 1 Space Services Mission – Will accelerate the state’s space economy, create jobs and strengthen the competitiveness of South Australian businesses in the small-satellite supply chain while paving the way for external investment and future growth in Australia and abroad. Line Zero – Factory of the Future – The investment in the state-of-the-art facility ensures that South Australia is in the best position to take on the challenges of the digital shipyard, equipping the state with a highly skilled workforce prepared to guide us into the future. Boeing 737 Deep Maintenance and Modification Facility – This $160 million facility is being built as a partnership between the South Australian Government and Department of Defence providing critical infrastructure necessary for maintenance and upgrade of the RAAF’s P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft and the E-7A Wedgetail aircraft. The new facility will create new jobs in the construction of the facility, operation and provide opportunities for future growth in the precinct. |
Agency specific objectives and performance
Defence SA:
| Agency objectives | Indicators | Performance |
| Maximise business opportunities by influencing policy, connecting industry to global supply chains and attracting investment. | Local industry participation in global supply chain for major defence projects.
Local industry undertake independent and global supply chain export opportunities. |
In May 2022 a record- breaking number of South Australian defence industry attended the international maritime Exposition Indo Pacific, with more than 50 exhibitors on the Defence SA stand representing a 10% increase from the 2019 event.
A trade mission to Canada occurred in March 2022, including meetings with the Canadian Government and industry groups to discuss potential collaboration opportunities. Continued engagement with BAE Systems Maritime Australia to maximise South Australian companies’ involvement in supply chain opportunities for the Hunter class frigate program. |
| Maximum economic benefit for local communities and sustainment opportunities for local industry by expanding Defence presence in South Australia, particularly at RAAF Base Edinburgh. | In February 2022, the Australian Government formally announced the $160 million 737 Deep Maintenance and Modification facility being built as part of a partnership between the South Australian Government and the Department of Defence. The new facility will provide infrastructure for the maintenance and upgrade of the P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft and the E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning control aircraft. | |
| Stimulating business capability by aligning local research and development, infrastructure and regulation with industry needs | Local research is aligned with the future needs of the defence industry. | The Defence Innovation Partnership program has been renewed for four years, with a total of $10 million of state government, Australian government and university funding. |
| International companies are attracted to bring new capabilities to the state. | The Defence and Space Landing Pad at Lot Fourteen continues to attract international companies to the state.
In November 2021 two additional international defence suppliers joined the Defence and Space Landing Pad – CBG Systems and Ghenova. |
|
| Support of the Line Zero – Factory of the Future facility | The South Australian Government has committed $5 million in funding over five years to Line Zero, a purpose-built facility for industrial scale testing of new technologies and processes ahead of their use in advance manufacturing, including shipbuilding. | |
| South Australia as a centre for information warfare | Establish a sustainable information warfare supply chain through maximising local industry participation, independent exports and global supply chain exports. | Continued engagement with Defence primes bidding for AIR 6500, Joint Air Battle Management System, with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman down selected to next stage bids.
In June 2022, Defence SA held the inaugural Aerospace and Information Warfare Forum, attracting more than 550 attendees across defence industry, the Australian Defence Force, government and academia to discuss the latest developments and supply chain opportunities in the aerospace and information warfare sector. The event included an exhibition with 56 primes, SMEs, academic and industry associations showcasing their capabilities, products and services. |
| Uplift cyber capability of South Australian industry to increase readiness for participation in global supply chains. | A pilot program with AustCyber has been initiated with the first 16 South Australian companies completing the program. | |
| Building business capacity by working to attract and retain talent in the state. | Development of a robust and resilient industry, including a skilled and productive workforce and strong and capable SME sector. | The initial phase of the Make Your Move employee attraction campaign targeting skilled workers with more than five years’ experience in their field concluded in December 2021. The campaign was extremely successful in meeting its KPIs and the campaign subsequently re-entered the market in April 2022.
While paid activity on the Find Your Place campaign, targeting South Australian high school students, university students, career advisors, parents and educators, to consider a defence industry career, was paused in 2021-22, Defence SA continued to promote the campaign objectives through other below-the-line activity. |
| Deliver Defence Industry Scholarship Program over three years through Ai Group | The Defence Industry Scholarship Program proved successful with 43 university students being undertaking work placements with defence industry. Of these, many have gone on to continue their employment at the company. | |
| South Australia has the necessary infrastructure to enable current and future Defence programs and basing. | A dedicated South Australian taskforce for the Nuclear-powered Submarine Program was established in February 2022. The taskforce, chaired by Defence SA, will work closely with state government agencies, local industry and local government representatives to discuss key focus areas including safety, environmental protection, facilities and infrastructure, industrial base capacity and workforce. |
Defence Innovation Partnership:
| Agency objectives | Indicators | Performance |
| Stimulating business capability by aligning local research and development, infrastructure and regulation with industry needs. | Facilitate and support new defence-relevant research and development collaborations in South Australia. | Round 5 of the Collaborative Research Fund awarded approximately $750,000 to five collaborative R&D projects involving South Australian university researchers, Defence Science and Technology Group, and defence industry. |
| Increase the number of researchers and industry in South Australia involved in defence-relevant research and development. | Pre-application meetings with potential Collaborative Research Fund applicants continued the trend of previous years with increased engagement from researchers who had not worked with or had only minimally worked with Defence. The Defence Innovation Partnership provided advice to these researchers on the best way to connect with potential collaborators in Defence and made introductions for researchers into Defence Science and Technology Group, other parts of Defence, and defence industry.
Cross sectoral engagement through briefings with BioMed City, Venture Catalyst Space start-ups and Stone & Chalk start-ups. |
|
| Promote South Australia’s R&D credentials through advocacy and stories of defence-relevant research collaboration. | The Defence Innovation Partnership exhibited at Defence trade shows including the South Australian Aerospace and Information Warfare Forum and Indo-Pacific International Maritime Exposition. These events were opportunities to promote the capabilities of South Australian researchers and engage with national and international collaborators and funders.
The Defence Innovation Partnership shares stories about researchers and projects through social media platforms Twitter and LinkedIn. The audience for these accounts grew by 18.3% and 34.3% respectively in 2021-22. |
|
| Build scale in South Australia’s defence R&D capabilities | Conducted a foresighting study involving participants from across South Australia’s priority sectors to identify key areas of future research and development, to inform the Defence Innovation Partnership’s activities and funding decisions.
Fostered transdisciplinary collaborations through the Convergence Series, with sessions on space security, national security, climate change, better futures and strategic thinking. |
|
| Support a defence R&D workforce through advice and support for early and mid-career researchers and industry professionals | Provided sponsorship for the BLiSS*Adelaide 2021 Conference on ‘Networking for Innovation’ and participated in two workshops with early and mid-career researchers. |
SASIC:
| Agency objectives | Indicators | Performance |
| Maximising business opportunities by influencing policy, connecting industry to global supply chains and attracting investment. | Support the Andy Thomas Space Foundation in the delivery of the Australian Space Forum | In October 2021 and March 2022, the Andy Thomas Space Foundation hosted the 12th and 13th Australian Space Forum, attracting over 900 attendees in person, including the largest industry exhibition in the event’s history showcasing over 70 companies. The event continues to grow and increase its international presence. |
| Investigate use of local procurement rules to prioritise local space companies | South Australia is progressing on a bold mission with industry to design and build a satellite to deliver space-derived services to the state. SASAT1 Space Services Mission will send a locally manufactured small satellite (named Kanyini) to low Earth orbit and employ an Internet of Things data collection service along with an electro-optical payload for Earth observation. SASAT1 is growing South Australian space companies through procurement.
An above the line consultancy was contracted to review SASAT1 design to ensure mission success. |
|
| Stimulating business capability by aligning local research and development, infrastructure and regulation with industry needs. |
Development of Australian Space Park | Australia’s first dedicated space manufacturing hub, Australian Space Park, will accelerate Australia’s sovereign space manufacturing capability by initially co-locating four space manufacturing companies in a purpose-built facility, focused on production of small satellites, payloads, rocket and technical systems.
A Common User Facility will also be established to provide companies with access to facilities that are capable of small satellite and component manufacturing, with potential to scale-up. Airbus announced intention to occupy part of Space Park and Lot 14 supporting Defence Space STaR Shots. |
| Delivery of space technology innovation programs. | Managed by Deloitte, SASIC is a key contributor to the GRAVITY Challenge.
GRAVITY Challenge is a space technology innovation program exploring new uses for space data and space capability. Its goal is to activate the space ecosystem by bringing market challenges and global innovators together to create viable solutions, and ultimately accelerate their commercial uptake. In 2021-22 GRAVITY 04 was delivered, with a commitment for continued support for GRAVITY 05, 06 and 07. |
|
| Support Southern Launch through the major projects planning process to obtain approval for Whalers Way as an orbital launch site. | SASIC continues to Chair the South Australian Government Southern Launch Task Force.
The task force is progressing the complex approvals required for the first of type launch facility in South Australia. Members of the task force are working closely with Southern Launch to facilitate approvals. In June 2022, the State Commission Assessment Panel approved infrastructure required to undertake a further three test launches before the end of 2022. |
|
| Building business capacity by working to attract and retain talent in the state. | Completed delivery of the $4 million Space Innovation Fund | The agency supported the completion of the Space Scholarship program and delivery of a 4th Space Incubator Program, Venture Catalyst Space. The 4th program included a total of six start-up organisations including international participation from Germany and India. |
| Support of the Space Industry Workforce Experience Program | Despite disruption from COVID-19, SASIC supported the delivery of the Space Industry Work Experience Program, with approximately 30 students to have work experience within the South Australian space industry. |
Corporate performance summary
Defence SA is a government agency of the state of South Australia, established pursuant to the Public Sector Act 2009. Defence SA operations are funded predominantly via appropriation. Secondary income sources are derived from event participation fees and sponsorships associated with industry events through which Defence SA promotes the state’s defence and space industries capabilities.
Defence SA’s net result for 2021-22 was a surplus of $6.056 million including net revenue from the South Australia Government of $11.646 million. The budgeted net result was for a deficit of $0.143 million. The main reasons for the variation in net result is attributable to the following key factors:
- Income movements primarily related to funding from the Jobs Economic Growth Fund for the Space Mission Control and Discovery Centre, SASAT1 Space Services Mission (Kanyini) and Defence Innovation Partnership Projects.
- Reduced grant expenditure as a result of delays on the part of recipients in the achievement of payment milestones for industry assistance grants.
- Reduced contractor expenditure as a result of delays in the SASAT1 Space Services Mission (Kanyini) project.
Employment opportunity programs
| Program name | Performance |
| First Nations People Employment Program | The First Nations People Employment Program was established to provide the opportunity for participants to gain experience in administration, office and work management through exposure to the defence and space sectors. This assists participants to pursue a career in the South Australian public sector while also providing a better understanding of the opportunities available in the defence and space sectors. The most recent participant commenced in June 2020 and was extended for a further twelve months to June 2022. After completing her time with Defence SA, the participant has been accepted into an internship with BAE systems. A new participant will be selected for calendar year 2023. |
Agency performance management and development systems
| Performance management and development system | Performance |
| Chief Executive Performance Agreement | The Chief Executive undertook a review of the goals and objectives component of the annual performance agreement on 23 August 2021. |
| Executive Staff Performance Management and Development System | All executive staff participate in an annual performance review process with key deliverables linked to the Chief Executive’s objectives and identifying training and development activities. This involves, a half-yearly review and an annual review. By 30 June 2022, 100% of executive staff had completed an annual review. |
| Non-Executive Staff Performance Management and Development System | All non-executive staff participate in an annual performance review process linked to training and development. This involves, a half-yearly review and an annual review. By 30 June 2022, 100% of non-executive staff had completed an annual review. |
Work health, safety and return to work programs
| Program name | Performance |
| First Aid | Defence SA has four qualified First Aid Officers who have completed accredited training. |
| Mental Health First Aid | Defence SA has Mental Health First Aid Officers who have completed accredited training. This complements the existing Employee Assistance Program. Senior management have also received training on mental health first aid. |
| Workplace injury claims | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | % Change
(+ / -) |
| Total new workplace injury claims | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Fatalities | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Seriously injured workers* | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Significant injuries (where lost time exceeds a working week, expressed as frequency rate per 1000 FTE) | 0 | 0 | 0% |
*number of claimants assessed during the reporting period as having a whole person impairment of 30% or more under the Return to Work Act 2014 (Part 2 Division 5)
| Work health and safety regulations | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | % Change
(+ / -) |
| Number of notifiable incidents (Work Health and Safety Act 2012, Part 3) | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Number of provisional improvement, improvement and prohibition notices (Work Health and Safety Act 2012 Sections 90, 191 and 195) | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Return to work costs** | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | % Change
(+ / -) |
| Total gross workers compensation expenditure ($) | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Income support payments – gross ($) | 0 | 0 | 0% |
**before third party recovery
Data for previous years is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/whs-2020-21-defencesa
Executive employment in the agency
| Executive classification | Number of executives |
| EXEC0A | 1 |
| SAES1 | 8 |
Data for previous years is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/executive-employment-2020-21-defencesa
The Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment has a workforce information page that provides further information on the breakdown of executive gender, salary and tenure by agency.
Financial performance
Financial performance at a glance
The following is a brief summary of the overall financial position of the agency. The information is unaudited. Full audited financial statements for 2021-2022 are attached to this report.
The financial statements include information relating to the following programs:
- Defence Industry Development
- South Australian Space Industry Centre
- Veterans SA
| Statement of Comprehensive Income | 2021-22 Budget $000s |
2021-22 Actual $000s |
Variation $000s |
2020-21 Actual $000s |
| Total Income | $20,881 | $23,175 | $2,294 | $22,937 |
| Total Expenses | $21,024 | $17,119 | $3.905 | $24,887 |
| Net Result | $( 143) | $6,056 | $6,199 | $(1,950) |
| Total Comprehensive Result | $( 143) | $6,056 | $6,199 | $(1,950) |
| Statement of Financial Position | 2021-22 Budget $000s |
2021-22 Actual $000s |
Variation $000s |
2020-21 Actual $000s |
| Current assets | $ 8,076 | $18,046 | $ 9,970 | $13,556 |
| Non-current assets | $ 2,686 | $ 2,824 | $ 138 | $ 3,070 |
| Total assets | $10,762 | $20,870 | $10,108 | $16,626 |
| Current liabilities | $ 3,524 | $ 2,049 | $ 1,475 | $ 3,633 |
| Non-current liabilities | $ 2,619 | $ 2,823 | $( 204) | $ 3,051 |
| Total liabilities | $ 6,143 | $ 4,872 | $ 1,271 | $ 6,684 |
| Net assets | $ 4,619 | $15,998 | $11,379 | $ 9,942 |
| Equity | $ 4,619 | $15,998 | $11,379 | $ 9,942 |
Consultants disclosure
The following is a summary of external consultants that have been engaged by the agency, the nature of work undertaken, and the actual payments made for the work undertaken during the financial year.
Consultancies with a contract value below $10,000 each
| Consultancies | Purpose | $ Actual payment |
| n/a | n/a | $ Nil |
Consultancies with a contract value above $10,000 each
| Consultancies | Purpose | $ Actual payment |
| n/a | n/a | $ Nil |
| Total | $ Nil |
Data for previous years is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/consultants-2020-21-defencesa
See also the Consolidated Financial Report of the Department of Treasury and Finance for total value of consultancy contracts across the South Australian Public Sector.
Contractors disclosure
The following is a summary of external contractors that have been engaged by the agency, the nature of work undertaken, and the actual payments made for work undertaken during the financial year.
Contractors with a contract value below $10,000
| Contractors | Purpose | $ Actual payment |
| Defence Industry Development | Various | $ 14,841 |
| Veterans SA | Various | $ 60,093 |
| All contractors below $10,000 each – combined | Total | $ 74,934 |
Contractors with a contract value above $10,000 each
| Contractors | Purpose | $ Actual payment |
| Defence Industry Development | ||
| AI Group | Management of Defence Export Scholarships | $ 65,000 |
| Bonita Kennedy | Creation of records disposal schedule | $ 17,280 |
| Bridge8 Pty Ltd | Fore sighting study | $ 38,900 |
| Defence Teaming centre Inc | Defence and Space Landing Pad concierge service | $ 28,576 |
| Rasu Film & Stills | Creative services | $ 12,842 |
| South Australian Space Industry Centre | ||
| Mews Partners Australia | Satellite development | $ 21,000 |
| Smartsat CRC | Satellite development | $2,227,000 |
| Veterans SA | ||
| Dada Supreme | Creative services | $ 14,520 |
| Flying in Formation | Research for Torrens Parade Ground development | $ 30,000 |
| Total | $2,455,118 |
Data for previous years is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/contractors-2020-21-defencesa
The details of South Australian Government-awarded contracts for goods, services, and works are displayed on the SA Tenders and Contracts website. View the agency list of contracts.
The website also provides details of across government contracts.
Other financial information
The Agency administered the Anzac Day Commemoration Fund established under the Anzac Day Commemoration Act 2005.
| Statement of Comprehensive Income | 2021-22 Budget $000s |
2021-22 Actual $000s |
Variation $000s |
2020-21 Actual $000s |
| Total Income | $100 | $100 | $ – | $102 |
| Total Expenses | $100 | $ 82 | $ 18 | $100 |
| Net Result | $ – | $ 18 | $ 18 | $ 2 |
| Total Comprehensive Result | $ – | $ 18 | $ 18 | $ 2 |
| Statement of Financial Position | 2021-22 Budget $000s |
2021-22 Actual $000s |
Variation $000s |
2020-21 Actual $000s |
| Current assets | $ 77 | $ 95 | $ 18 | $ 77 |
| Total assets | $ 77 | $ 95 | $ 18 | $ 77 |
| Equity | $ 77 | $ 95 | $ 18 | $ 77 |
Risk management
Risk and audit at a glance
Fraud detected in the agency
| Category/nature of fraud | Number of instances |
| N/A | Nil |
NB: Fraud reported includes actual and reasonably suspected incidents of fraud.
Strategies implemented to control and prevent fraud
All staff completed the SA Public Sector Code of Ethics refresher training during June and July 2022 During the year staff undertook Cyber Security and Awareness training in September 2021 and Fraud and Corruption Awareness training in June 2022. The Fraud and Corruption policy was reviewed and updated in September 2021.
Data for previous years is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/fraud-detection-2018-21-defencesa
Public interest disclosure
Number of occasions on which public interest information has been disclosed to a responsible officer of the agency under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2018:
Nil
Data for previous years is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/whistle-blower-2018-21-defencesa
Note: Disclosure of public interest information was previously reported under the Whistleblowers Protection Act 1993 and repealed by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2018 on 1/7/2019.
Reporting required under any other act or regulation
Reporting required under the Carers’ Recognition Act 2005
Defence SA is not required to report under the Carers’ Recognition Act 2005.
Public complaints
Number of public complaints reported
| Complaint categories | Sub-categories | Example | Number of Complaints 2021-22 |
| Professional behaviour | Staff attitude | Failure to demonstrate values such as empathy, respect, fairness, courtesy, extra mile; cultural competency | Nil |
| Professional behaviour | Staff competency | Failure to action service request; poorly informed decisions; incorrect or incomplete service provided | Nil |
| Professional behaviour | Staff knowledge | Lack of service specific knowledge; incomplete or out-of-date knowledge | Nil |
| Communication | Communication quality | Inadequate, delayed or absent communication with customer | Nil |
| Communication | Confidentiality | Customer’s confidentiality or privacy not respected; information shared incorrectly | Nil |
| Service delivery | Systems/technology | System offline; inaccessible to customer; incorrect result/information provided; poor system design | Nil |
| Service delivery | Access to services | Service difficult to find; location poor; facilities/ environment poor standard; not accessible to customers with disabilities | Nil |
| Service delivery | Process | Processing error; incorrect process used; delay in processing application; process not customer responsive | Nil |
| Policy | Policy application | Incorrect policy interpretation; incorrect policy applied; conflicting policy advice given | Nil |
| Policy | Policy content | Policy content difficult to understand; policy unreasonable or disadvantages customer | Nil |
| Service quality | Information | Incorrect, incomplete, out dated or inadequate information; not fit for purpose | Nil |
| Service quality | Access to information | Information difficult to understand, hard to find or difficult to use; not plain English | Nil |
| Service quality | Timeliness | Lack of staff punctuality; excessive waiting times (outside of service standard); timelines not met | Nil |
| Service quality | Safety | Maintenance; personal or family safety; duty of care not shown; poor security service/ premises; poor cleanliness | Nil |
| Service quality | Service responsiveness | Service design doesn’t meet customer needs; poor service fit with customer expectations | Nil |
| No case to answer | No case to answer | Third party; customer misunderstanding; redirected to another agency; insufficient information to investigate | Nil |
| Total | 0 |
Additional Metrics |
Total |
| Number of positive feedback comments | Nil |
| Number of negative feedback comments | Nil |
| Total number of feedback comments | Nil |
| % complaints resolved within policy timeframes | N/A |
Data for previous years is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/public-complaints-2020-21
| Not applicable. |
Service Improvements
Compliance Statement
| Defence SA is compliant with Premier and Cabinet Circular 039 – complaint management in the South Australian public sector | Y |
| Defence SA has communicated the content of PC 039 and the agency’s related complaints policies and procedures to employees. | Y |
