The 2006 Defence + Industry Conference begins today with more than 1000 delegates from industry and Defence registered to gather at Canberra’s National Convention Centre for the three day event. The conference is hosted on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Defence by Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO). The conference provides practical guidance and advice to industry on doing business with Defence and its prime contractors.

This year’s event, themed ‘Improving Industry Capacity and Performance - in the National Interest’, will provide industry with the latest information about the Government’s plans for Defence, with a focus on procurement priorities for the coming year. Defence Minister the Hon Dr Brendan Nelson will release the public version of the Defence Capability Plan (DCP) 2006-16 at the event, which takes into consideration the Government’s commitment to continue a real increase of three per cent per annum beyond 2011-12 until 2015-16.

The DCP will provide industry with procurement plans for the next ten years, giving industry greater assurance to make investment decisions.
Providing a public version of the DCP to industry builds upon the Government’s 2001 commitment to keep Australian industry abreast of Defence’s major equipment acquisition planning so that industry can plan for its crucial role in providing and sustaining our national Defence capability.

Dr Nelson also recently appointed a team of senior defence and industry players to review current industry policy. A discussion paper that will form the basis for consultations with interested stakeholders will be circulated at the event. DMO’s Head of Industry Division, Kerry Clarke has accepted a role on the review team. He said the review would eventually have two key outcomes: to ensure Australia has an internationally competitive defence industry; and to sustain the core industry capabilities needed to support the Australian Defence Force.

"The review will canvass the issues, for example, identifying which capabilities are critical, looking at how we determine them. Key questions
will be outlined in the discussion paper as a first step, with more extensive consultation taking place in the following three months," Mr
Clarke said. DMO Chief Executive Officer, Dr Stephen Gumley said Defence + Industry 2006 will offer an unrivalled networking opportunity.

"Through a series of presentations, workshops and panel discussions delegates will have access to senior Defence officials and senior executives from Australia’s biggest defence contractors," Dr Gumley said. "I strongly recommend this conference to anyone from defence or
defence-related industries that are doing business with, or intend to do business with Defence."