27 September 2017

 WA must play a role in Australian Space Agency

WA Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds has welcomed reports the WA State Government is supporting a Western Australian push for our state to play a significant role in a the development of an Australian Space Agency.

Senator Reynolds and WA Opposition Leader Dr Mike Nahan made the case for Western Australia as a significant contributor to Australia’s space industry capability in a joint submission to the Federal Government review in August.

Their recommendations included the establishment of an Australian Space Agency based on the UK Space Agency model, incorporating aspects of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, to be based in WA.

Senator Reynolds said she would continue to work with local universities, Dr Nahan and the Commonwealth Government to advance plans for Western Australia to play a significant role in supporting and growing national space capability.

“WA is already home to a wide variety of civilian and Defence space facilities and will soon co-host the world’s most powerful telescope, the Square Kilometre Array,” she said.

“The SKA will cement WA as a leader in the global space industry. It’s a welcome addition to existing facilities, which include the Murchison Widefield Array, Desert Fireball Network, the European Space Agency’s Deep Space Antenna, Perth International Telecommunications Centre, West Australian Space Centre and Learmonth Solar Observatory.

“Significant space-related research and technology development is being undertaken by Curtin University and University of Western Australia, which have joined forces to form the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research.”

Senator Reynolds said WA’s workforce had a strong presence in the space sector, with the potential to expand, as well as a geographic position that made it an attractive location for major space projects.

“WA has an abundance of remote areas and much of the state possesses the perfect combination of low population density, minimal electromagnetic interference and high air quality, which creates ideal conditions for radio antennae, telescopes and other sensitive electronic measuring devices necessary for both civilian and defence space projects,” she said.

The Federal Government announced on Monday it will create an Australian Space Agency, which will generate thousands of jobs and tap into a $420 billion global industry. It’s not a matter of if Western Australia should play a role, it’s how much.

Media Contact: Amy Blom 08 9477 5411, 0431 685 372 or amy.blom@aph.gov.au