Australia is building a robust, resilient and globally-competitive defence industry. It exports innovative defence technologies to key global partners and supports an agile and capable Australian Defence Force (ADF).

Some of our defence exports
• More than 70 companies share more than A$3 billion in contracts as part of the global Joint Strike Fighter Program investment. (Source: Australian Government 2023)
• Thales Australia Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles, designed and built in Australia, are used by a number of countries including Fiji, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
• The Nulka Active Missile Decoy protects ships from missiles and has been adopted by several nations. Its concept of a hovering rocket decoy was initiated in Australia by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) and developed in partnership with the US Department of Defence and BAE systems. It is currently deployed on over 150 Australian, US and Canadian warships.
• Droneshield, an Australian company that makes innovative AI-based counter drone systems, in July 2023 received a record A$33 million order from a US government agency. It followed a $9.9 million order from another customer among the Five Eyes community.

The Australian Government has adopted a policy of National Defence – the defence against potential threats arising from major power competition – as a new approach to defence planning and strategy.

The current defence industry policy was established in a very different environment to today. Risk of major power conflict was low, policy assuming a 10-year warning time, and industry capability was viewed largely in terms of supporting individual ADF programs.

The risk of a major conflict in the Indo-Pacific is real. China is openly using military and para-military forces to change the status -quo I the South China Sea, while in Europe Russia is continuing its war to annex Ukraine.

• The Australian defence industry should be considered a capability in its own right.

• Defence industry should be embedded within and managed as part of Australia’s broader national industry structure and policy.

• Defence industries should be strategically prioritised, then supported to achieve scale and surge capabilities.

• Government should use the full range of policy levers at its disposal to shape defence industry outcomes.

• Government should establish a Defence Industry Capability Manager.

Design has a primary role in shaping and fashioning the physical world for a human purpose.

All human artefacts are in some way designed. Design serves a multiplicity of human needs ranging from the practical and instrumental to the intuitive and emotional.

Design applies to cities, environments, structures, spaces, objects and electronic images.

The four key principles of design are utility, social relevance, sustainability and aesthetic satisfaction. Associated with them all are imagination and innovation.

Major areas of design are urban design architectural and building design, engineering, landscape planning and design, interior design, industrial and product design, craft design, fashion design graphic design, and design of the moving image.

The Digital Health CRC harnesses the power of data and digital technologies to improve health outcomes, increase efficiency in health and aged care delivery, and grow a competitive digital health industry for Australia.

We want to reduce harm caused by fire and floods by harnessing the collective power of communities, industry, government, philanthropy and the research sector to lift Australia to be the global leader in fire and flood resilience by 2025.

We see ourselves as an enabler, facilitating dialogue, orchestrating and convening groups (people, businesses, government, philanthropy and the research sector), and relying on ground truth from active community-focused programs, to identify the most important resilience-related problems and enable the most effective solutions to be delivered faster.

As a not-for-profit, we go where the evidence takes us. Finally, we are an impact investor. We will make investments when and where they are needed to lift fire and flood resilience. We have a strong balance sheet to ensure the program is a success.

Becoming a CASA Certified Drone Pilot is crucial in your journey to operate drones in a professional and commercial environment. How to establish and operate drone business is often overlooked by people entering the Drone Industry. This is the Global Drone Solutions’ difference! We’ll help you establish and run a successful drone business by sharing our knowledge and providing you with valuable resources and tools to help you start your business and establish a long-term career in the Drone Industry.

Our Drone Experts help you choose from our wide range of Drone Pilot Training Courses delivered in either a classroom or online environment. From Introductory to Advanced, our Remote Pilot Training Courses are comprehensive, industry-leading and designed to enhance your knowledge and skills. Whether you are seeking to improve your drone flying skills or begin your Drone Pilot career, Global Drone Solutions is the only choice.

Air Marshal Rob Chipman said the deployment of drones in the Ukraine war had lessons for armed forces across the world.

Ukraine's armed forces have successfully used drones for reconnaissance missions of Russian units while also deploying the unmanned aircraft to deliver lethal payloads against enemy targets.

Blaxland said the drones being acquired by the Australian Defence Force, such as the Loyal Wingman unmanned aircraft and the long-range Triton drone, were cheaper than conventional warplanes and would help compensate for lack of numbers.

Drought hubs empower stakeholders to co-design drought preparedness activities and apply innovation to ensure a thriving future for the region. Hub members, partners and stakeholders apply proven drought-resilience research on the ground to make this happen.

The hub will improve innovation and its adoption across agriculture, industry, and the community.

The 8 hubs support farmers and communities to get ready for drought. They connect farmers with regional agricultural experts, innovation and new practices.

A Knowledge Broker is available at each hub. Their role is to translate science into practice for their region. They use their network to encourage collaboration and learning across the hubs. They also help build connections with other Future Drought Fund programs.

Whether you're a farmer, landholder, business, state government or local council, you can run a Climate Solutions Fund project. By running a project, you can earn Australian carbon credit units (carbon credits) for emissions avoidance or storage of carbon dioxide in vegetation and soil.

Each carbon credit represents one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas emissions stored or avoided. Climate Solution Fund emission avoidance projects can earn carbon credits for up to seven years. Savanna burning projects and those that store carbon dioxide are able to earn carbon credits for up to 25 years.

Advanced manufacturers in Greater Sydney provide the most valuable and skill-intensive parts of the production process, including high-tech design and development, innovative research, product customisation, client-focused support and repair services.

Greater Sydney has strengths in advanced manufacturing in the aerospace and food and beverage sectors. To build on Western Sydney’s thriving manufacturing industry, the NSW Government, in partnership with the Commonwealth Government, are developing a high-tech, state-of-the-art Aerospace and Defence Industries Precinct, adjacent to the new Western Sydney Airport.

The UTS Centre for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) supports Australian manufacturers on this journey, helping them to embrace digital transformation and drive increased self-sufficiency/on-shoring of manufacturing in a post-Covid-19 world.

Located in the Engineering precinct of the University of Sydney's Darlington campus, the Sydney Manufacturing Hub is a manufacturing-focused research facility that works with industry to deliver cutting-edge R&D in additive manufacturing and materials processing.

The Hub provides capabilities for design, topological optimisation, the 3-D printing of metals, ceramics and polymers, as well as post-processing heat treatment, advanced characterisation and more, paving the way for new technology in industries like aerospace, autonomous vehicles, biomedical, defence, maritime, and robotics.

The UNSW Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory covers teaching, research and consulting in various manufacturing processes. This includes advanced laser and laser-hybrid processing of materials, high pressure water jet and air jet processing of materials, mechanical machining, additive manufacturing, and friction and wear.

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges we face. It impacts our natural environment and ecosystems, our economy, our infrastructure, and our way of life. As we plan for the future, we must ensure that we achieve sustainability for the long term, transforming to meet the challenge of realising net zero emissions, while ensuring our cities are resilient and adaptable in the face of the escalating climate change impacts we are already experiencing.

Reaching net zero emissions by 2050 will require a major shift towards private, public and heavy electric vehicles and more trips by public transport, walking and cycling.

The 2019–2020 bushfires across eastern Australia caused loss of life, property, infrastructure and devastating impact on communities, vegetation, wildlife and ecosystems across our region. There were additional health and economic impacts from the thick smoke blanketing the region for months.

Recycled water, including recycled stormwater, can help mitigate urban heat in a way that is less reliant on rainfall and drinking water supplies. Currently, only seven per cent of wastewater in Greater Sydney is recycled. Making greater use of recycled water, and water conservation measures will be critical to keeping our communities cool and green.

Creative businesses choose NSW due to its cluster of filmmakers, artists, designers, writers, musicians, dancers and advertising agencies. The state also has a thriving museum and art gallery culture.

Sydney has twice been voted the world's top festival and events city by the International Festivals and Events Association. It offers an exciting fusion of leading performance companies, venues and facilities including:

• Sydney Festival
• Chinese New Year Festival
• Vivid Sydney light and music extravaganza
• Sydney Biennale
• Writers' Festival
• Comedy Festival
• Film Festival

Sydney is also home to world-renowned performance companies such as:

• Australian Chamber Orchestra
• Bangarra Dance Theatre
• Opera Australia
• Sydney Dance Company
• Sydney Theatre Company

Sydney is recognised as Australia’s only global city and the leading knowledge-based economy in the nation.

Innovation districts, including health and education hubs, remain priority areas for building knowledge intensive jobs growth across the six cities. A number of current projects will set the scene for improved economic dynamism and future knowledge intensive jobs growth across the Central River and Western Parkland Cities. This includes the recently announced Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility at Bradfield, as well as investment in the Viral Vector Manufacturing Facility at the Westmead Health and Innovation District.

Focus industries will include agriculture, tourism, technology, health industries, defence and aerospace, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing and materials, smart freight and logistics, agriculture and tourism.

Innovation districts will complement the Aerotropolis, centred on semiconductors, defence, aerospace and modern manufacturing. Tech Central, which has a focus on deep tech, software as a service, quantum cyber and information and communication technology,
and Westmead, which drives health innovation, building on Westmead’s strengths in advanced therapeutics, translation cancer, immunology, vaccinology clinical trials and digital health.

Sydney hosts six world-class universities offering a wide range of courses for international students across undergraduate, postgraduate and research degree levels.

The University of Sydney is one of the top universities in Sydney, Australia, and is consistently ranked in the top 50 universities in the world.

UNSW is ranked 2nd in Australia and 27th in the world for Graduate Employability. Browse our range of study options and find the perfect one for you.

Western Sydney University is one of Australia's leading institutions, ranked in the top 250 universities globally.

University of Technology Sydney is Australia's no 1 young university, focused on making a difference through leading research, and inspiring education.

Macquarie University is a public research university based in Sydney, Australia, in the suburb of Macquarie Park.

The Australian Catholic University is a publicly funded university with several campuses around Australia.

The City of Sydney is now powered using 100 per cent renewable electricity generated from wind and solar farms in regional NSW. All our operations – including street lights, pools, sports fields, depots, buildings and the historic Sydney Town Hall – now use 100% renewable electricity from locally-sourced clean energy. Roughly three-quarters of the City’s power is wind-generated, and the rest will come from solar power.

As the bushfires from the summer of 2019-20 remain fresh in people’s minds, proactive steps are needed to improve the city’s climate resilience. By decarbonising metropolitan systems and embracing renewable energy sources, Greater Sydney has the opportunity to lead a green post-pandemic recovery. Some cities, Sydney included, have made moves to decarbonise public transport fleets.

NSW is home to 11 universities, with 2 ranked in the top 50 for medicine and health. Australia is ranked 8th in the world for life sciences research.

Significant capital investment in health precincts dispersed across Greater Sydney in Westmead, Camperdown, Randwick and Liverpool, offers economic and productivity advantages to businesses.

Precincts are where research institutions and companies can cluster and connect with startups, business incubators and accelerators. This creates a culture that supports the commercialisation of products and services and grows the future skills pipeline.

The NSW Government is targeting priority sectors including:
• medical devices
• biotechnology
• clinical trials
• gene and cell therapies
• digital health.

Is Australia’s housing crisis self-inflicted? If so, then we need a series of reforms to reverse it
The best long-term solution to the structural problems of the rental crisis is to build more public and/or affordable housing.

Make renting more Sustainable. Increase rent assistance or look at rental caps, similar to countries in Europe and some US states, long term tenancy agreements with incentives for all parties to the agreement.

Build to Rent
The Build to Rent property sector is growing in Australia – this new class of housing is focused on providing high quality purpose designed and built rental stock, creating an additional housing choice for Australian renters with greater security and service.

Build to Rent developments are typically owned by institutional investors for the long term and the owner could be the developer/ongoing building manager. The format provides tenants with the flexibility of renting with the security of home ownership.

Build-to-Rent developments are usually large-scale residential properties specifically designed, built and managed for long-term ownership and rental.

Social Housing
In the 40 years between 1981 and 2021 the percentage of all Australian households living in social housing (i.e. state owned and managed public housing or community managed housing) has ranged from 4.9 per cent in 1981 to 3.8 per cent in 2021. Such a drop in the proportion of social housing raises the question of has Australia achieved the balance right, and also just what is the right level of social housing for Australia?

In 2018 Statistics Canada said 628,700 Canadian households, more than one in ten renter households nationally (13.5% of 4,652,500), were living in social and affordable housing.
In New Zealand, as of 30 June 2021, there were 74,337 public housing households. This equates to 4.0% of households living in social housing.

In England (in 2018) 17% of households (3.9 million) lived in social housing, while the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development publishes that 1.2 million households live in public housing, which is 0.98 per cent of all housing.

The Greater Cities Commission is leading the delivery and coordination of four innovation districts with the greatest opportunity to accelerate economic recovery for the Six Cities Region.

These innovation districts will complement and reinforce each other, incorporating social, economic and sustainability benefits into their strategic development. The innovation districts the Commission are focussing on are:

• Tech Central
• Westmead Health and Innovation District (including Parramatta North)
• Macquarie Park

Tech Central is a place where universities, startups, scaleups, tech giants and local communities collaborate to solve problems, socialise and spark ideas that change our world.

Westmead Health and Innovation District will continue building on its status as a globally recognised destination for innovation, health, education and research, capitalising on existing major health and research facilities and ongoing government investment in health and transport infrastructure.

The Macquarie Park Innovation District situated to the north west of Sydney CBD includes a
world class university, a major shopping centre, a hospital, a high-tech employment hub.

NSW is home to the largest number of defence bases and capabilities of any state or territory and is home to one quarter of Australia’s military and defence civilian personnel. All three services have significant bases throughout the state, including major sustainment hubs for the Australian Army at Holsworthy Barracks, the Royal Australian Navy at Garden Island and the Royal Australian Air Force at Williamtown.

Each service has operational level headquarters and significant training units located across the state.

Greater Sydney provides a harbour for the Royal Australian Navy base, Victoria Barracks, Randwick Barracks, Liverpool Military Area, and RAAF bases Richmond and Glenbrook.

Research and Development related to defence is conducted at the Australian Centre for Field Robotics at University of Sydney, the Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology (CQC2T) at the University of NSW and the Centre for Autonomous Systems at the University of Technology Sydney.

Greater Sydney has advanced manufacturing capacity in technologies identified as critical to the success of the Defence Force in the coming years.

These include:
• acoustic technologies and systems
• complex system integration
• cybersecurity
• advanced materials and optics
• helicopter and jet engine maintenance and simulation
• intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR)
• electronic warfare
• space technologies
• small arms manufacturing.

Sydney is best known for its harbourfront Sydney Opera House, with a distinctive sail-like design. The Darling Harbour and the smaller Circular Quay port are hubs of waterside life, with the arched Harbour Bridge and Royal Botanic Garden nearby.

Tour the Sydney Opera House, climb the Harbour Bridge, swim at Bondi Beach, visit the zoos and aquariums, explore aboriginal culture and watch whales frolic off the coast.