Australia Approves Implementation Plan for Defense Review
The Minister for Defence, Senator John Faulkner, announced today that the Government had considered and endorsed the implementation plan for the Defence Strategic Reform Program (SRP).
“The SRP is designed to give Australia a stronger, more agile and harder-hitting Defence Force. After endorsing the detailed implementation plan, the Government is confident that Defence is well placed to achieve fundamental reform,” Senator Faulkner said.
“The Strategic Reform Program is a major public sector reform initiative. The SRP extends over a decade and engages all areas of Defence. It will change how Defence works in fundamental ways. It will unleash forces of innovation and change. It will achieve $20 billion in cost reductions over a decade from 2009-10, to reinvest in Defence capability.”
Defence is already on track to deliver the $797 million in cost reductions scheduled for 2009-10.
Addressing the Defence Senior Leadership Group in Canberra last Wednesday, Senator Faulkner said, “The SRP is not just about delivering savings and efficiencies. It is an integral component of the White Paper. It is the means by which we will build an organisation capable of delivering and sustaining Force 2030. To be blunt, while we have already started to build Force 2030 through decisions over the past year, achieving it in its full potential will not be possible without achieving the SRP in all its dimensions.”
Senator Faulkner also acknowledged the work Defence had put into developing the full implementation plan.
“The detailed planning work that has been underway since May 2009 is critical to the success of the SRP. I congratulate and thank all those Defence personnel who have worked so hard to develop the implementation plan.”
The Defence Strategic Reform Advisory Board, chaired by an external expert, Mr George Pappas, has been involved throughout the development of the implementation plan.
“The Board gave the Government a high level of assurance that the implementation plan is achievable,” Senator Faulkner said. “The Board will continue to advise me over the life of the Program to assist in ensuring the reforms are being implemented in the way intended by the Government.”
Senator Faulkner called on Defence’s leaders to take what is best in Defence into the future. “Reform will not be easy. We have the opportunity and responsibility to make the SRP a reality. In doing so, we will create the Defence organisation Australia needs to help secure its future.”
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Implementation of the Defence Strategic Reform Program
