Brooke Vitnell, LIberal candidate for Paterson, calls on Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price to back Newcastle in nuclear submarine construction

Ms Vitnell said she would be writing to the Minister for Defence Industry, Melissa Price, asking for the Hunter Region to be "recognised" by "decree" as a region to be considered in the awarding of defence contracts, including the eight nuclear AUKUS submarines announced in September.

Ms Vitnell said the Hunter Region had a long history of military shipbuilding and maintenance and had the skills in the region to work on sections of the submarines, which the Morrison government has announced will be built in South Australia.

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Tim Owen, chair of Hunter Defence, said he was "very comfortable" with the proposal, saying the Hunter had shown its abilities in building hull modules for the Navy.

The Minister for Defence Industry and Minister for Science and Technology, Melissa Price, said she was aware of Ms Vitnell's proposal.

"The Hunter is critical to our $270 billion plan to equip our men and women in uniform with the capabilities they need to keep Australians safe," Ms Price said.

"Businesses in the Hunter have been delivering essential equipment to our Defence Force for decades.

"They are well placed to win work as part of our acquisition of at least eight nuclear-powered submarines in the coming years."

Ms Vitnell said that even though the government had announced the submarines would be built in Adelaide, the Hunter had the defence industry presence, the skills and know-how to play a part.

"I am not going to sit back and watch as these opportunities pass us by," Ms Vitnell said.

"RAAF base Williamtown, in the Paterson electorate, already hosts a maintenance hub for the F-35A jet strike fighters.

"We could build on such experience to ensure Hunter businesses and workers play a role in assisting with construction of our new submarines."

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Ms Vitnell said she would meet with Hunter defence industry figures in coming days to discuss the proposal and said she was buoyed by the feedback she'd already received.

"The Hunter region is not only an area of strategic military importance, with Williamtown and the army at Singleton. We have a working port, shipbuilding heritage, a skilled workforce and strong manufacturing capacity."

In recent decades, Newcastle has built hull sections for the Navy's ANZAC frigates, built at Williamstown, Victoria, and the Air Warfare Destroyers, built in Adelaide, as well as full construction of the Minehunter project.

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