Fibre Composites Industry

_{12 February, 2008}

Ms JARRATT (Whitsunday—ALP) (2.55 pm): As Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for
Tourism, Regional Development and Industry, I have been privileged to learn more about some of
Queensland’s Smart State industries that are helping to grow our regions and boost our economy. Last
week I visited Toowoomba to learn more about the exciting fibre composites industry and to chair the
Queensland Fibre Composites Forum. While there is no doubt that much of the fibre composites
industry involves the use of cutting-edge 21st century technology, I also discovered that the principles
underpinning the manufacture of fibre composites are not new or unfamiliar to most of us, because
materials like fibreglass have been used for around 30 to 40 years to make all sorts of products
including boats, eskies and surfboards.

Fibre composites consist of a polymer or resin added to a reinforcement material, usually some
type of natural or manufactured fibre, which provides form and adds strength to the product. Fibre
composites have a range of benefits compared to more traditional materials depending on the purpose
for which they are created. For example, the benefits of fibre composites in boat building include their
weight to strength ratio. Other desirable qualities of the products also include the fact that they are noncorroding,
non-magnetic and can be located to provide strength, stiffness or flexibility where needed to
meet nearly any specific engineering requirement.

Naturally, fibre composites have a range of applications in the marine and aviation sectors, and
their potential is also being recognised in areas such as advanced manufacturing, building and
construction, mining, transport and even in the defence forces. I was privileged to see firsthand a range
of fibre composite products which were on display in Toowoomba including part of the Collins class
submarine, a lightweight Kimberley caravan and automotive parts that reduce the overall weight of a
vehicle without compromising strength. Indeed, I am reliably informed that the use of fibre composites is
set to revolutionise the sport of motor racing, much as it has already done for the sport of yacht racing,
by enabling vehicle design to achieve the desirable combination of reduced weight and increased
strength.

The Gold Coast company Firewire was also showcasing its award-winning surfboards that are
now used by many of the biggest names in international surfing. The advantage of the Firewire boards is
their incredible strength combined with increased flex capacity that gives them outstanding
manoeuvrability. The use of innovative fibre composite technology has enabled this Queensland
company to go from a small production base of around 17 staff and 10 surfboards a week in 2006 to 89
staff and around 400 boards each week. This is a great local success story and it epitomises the
potential that fibre composites hold for revolutionising even the most traditional areas of design and
manufacturing.

The other great benefits delivered through the fibre composites industry sector are that these
materials potentially use half the energy of the production of materials such as concrete and steel and
may generate less than half the emissions and waste of the more traditional materials. In a time when
governments around the world are beginning to look to lower greenhouse emissions, a smart industry
being developed right here in Queensland has the potential to deliver this outcome. And wait, there is
more good news on the enviro front. Fibre composites also have the potential to replace timber in many
instances, thus reducing our reliance on native hardwoods.

This is a smart industry in so many ways, and I welcome the opportunity to chair the Queensland
Fibre Composites Forum so that I can play an active role in its further development. The Queensland
Fibre Composites Forum was formed in 2006 to assist the state government implement its fibre
composites action plan. Forum members come from a range of backgrounds and regions across the
state, and they meet quarterly to discuss issues affecting the industry’s performance and prospects and
to identify ways in which to further refine the government’s action plan.

I have said it before: fibre composites are a Smart State industry and Queensland is at the
forefront of global development in fibre composites technology. Little wonder the state government has
invested more than $15 million in the sector in recent years. This includes $7½ million to the University
of Southern Queensland for the development of the Centre of Excellence in Engineered Fibre
Composites. Additionally, the government has funded organisations like the CSIRO and Australian
Aerospace to assist them to advance the development and application of fibre composites technology.

In a more practical sense the Department of Tourism, Regional Development and Industry is
supporting this industry sector through funding to support industry peak body Composites Australia to
host its 2009 conference right here in Queensland. This will be a great opportunity for local businesses
to showcase the benefits of setting up shop in the Smart State where the government has a plan to
support the fibre composites industry and is working proactively to ensure that this sector is part of
Queensland’s continuing success story.

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