Defence choppers to be built in Queensland
From AAP
10aug01
A $1.3 billion defence helicopter contract has been awarded with a promise the new choppers will be built in Queensland.
The federal Government has awarded the contract to Eurocopter International Pacific.
Defence Minister Peter Reith said Eurocopter had offered the French/German Tiger helicopter to meet Australian defence requirements.
“The company and Defence wil now enter into detailed development of the tender,” Mr Reith said.
He said Eurocopter proposed the assembly and maintenance of the 22 helicopters would be carried out in Queensland.
The first helicopters are due to enter service by the end of 2004.
Queensland Premier Peter Beattie said the helicopters will operate out of Oakey in the Darling Downs but will be built in Brisbane.
“We’ll obviously offer training and payroll tax,” he told ABC Radio.
“There’s some sensitive negotiations to go but these are the sorts of things we are doing and we are a can do government.”
Mr Beattie said Queensland was building a new aviation industry, which included the Australian headquarters of Virgin Airlines and Boeing and the Qantas maintenance facility.
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August 10, 2001 at 4:32 am