Albanese government outlines space industry priorities

The new statement of expectations issued to the Australian Space Agency focuses on speeding up regulatory approvals and modernising the regulatory framework for emerging activities, according to a joint statement from the Industry and Innovation Minister Tim Ayres and Assistant Minister for Science, Technology and the Digital Economy.

They also highlighted that the agency should focus on community safety by increasing its focus on space monitoring given there are already more than 30,000 human-made objects tracked in space.

The space agency will lead “targeted application with industry, academia and government stakeholders to develop the detailed actions that will support growth of the space sector”, which is planned to be released later this year.

What they said: “The Albanese government’s Statement on Space provides direction and focus so that we can further grow Australia’s space capability, support national priorities and connect to global opportunity,” Ayres said.

“We want to see more Australian ideas commercialised, more Australian technology deployed globally, and more of the economic value harnessed here at home.”

Australian Space Agency head Enrico Palermo said: “The five Focus Areas provide a basis to target effort where Australian industry capability can support national needs, connect into global demand, open market pathways, and contribute to the productivity, resilience and security of Australia’s economy.”

Space Industry Association Australia CEO Lloyd Damp said: “This statement sends an important signal to industry, investors, international partners and government: Australia understands that space is no longer a niche sector or a ‘nice to have’ but essential to everyday life and Australia’s future.”