The Space Industry Association (SIAA) has welcomed the tabling in parliament of a report of the Inquiry into Developing Australia’s Space Industry.
The report, The Now Frontier: Developing Australia’s Space Industry, provides a blueprint for government to shape better policy and legislation to unlock growth in Australian space jobs and revenue. If adopted by government, the 38 far-reaching recommendations will secure sovereign Australian access to the opportunities of the astonishing global growth in space infrastructure and services.
13 of the report’s 38 recommendations were drawn from SIAA’s submission and evidence to the inquiry, including:
- The need for a national space strategy to guide the development of Australia’s space industry and provide signposts for public and private investment.
- The pivotal need for additional funding to boost Australian civilian space missions and improve Australia’s relative under-investment in space compared to other nations.
- The importance of boosting the capabilities of the Australian Space Agency and establishing it as a statutory agency.
- The establishment of new mechanisms, including a Ministerial Space Council and a parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Space, to coordinate whole of government and industry efforts on space.
- The need to review Australia’s cumbersome and outdated space launch regulations and legislation to improve industry access to space. SIAA’s submission to the inquiry was referenced more than 50 times in the committee’s report. SIAA Members featured prominently in the committee’s analysis and their advice was featured extensively in the committee’s report.
Launching the inquiry, Committee Chair Pat Conaghan MP declared “the significance of Space 2.0 is that it will create the jobs of the future as well as improving our everyday lives. Australia needs to position itself to capitalise on these opportunities”.
Deputy Committee Chair The Hon Sharon Bird MP highlighted the rapidly evolving nature of the space industry and the difficulty for the committee in keeping pace with space developments throughout 2021.
“This stellar report will be the guiding light for the development of Australia’s most exciting industry in coming months and years. We thank the committee and parliament for providing this comprehensive analysis and visionary architecture for growing Australia’s space industry in a successful and sustainable way” said James Brown, CEO of the Space Industry Association of Australia. “Securing appropriate funding and authority for the Australian Space Agency and working on a national space strategy are now the top priorities for the government and opposition. We look forward to continuing industry’s part in that effort”.
You can read the full report here.
