Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence Bruce Billson said the Executive Steering Committee first met last month, following the release of the industry policy statement by Defence Minister Dr Brendan Nelson in March.

“The steering committee will oversee the implementation of the new policy, allocate resources within key Defence stakeholder areas to undertake implementation activities and provide advice to the Defence Ministerial Team on implementation issues,” Mr Billson said.

The Committee is chaired by the Chief Executive Officer of the Defence Material Organisation Dr Stephen Gumley and features representatives from key stakeholder organisations from Defence and Defence Industry.

Mr Di Bartolomeo, as industry representative, brings extensive defence industry experience to the role and will ensure that industry issues and concerns are addressed as part of the policy implementation process.

The creation of the Executive Steering Committee will provide for a whole-of-Defence approach to policy implementation and ensure that the benefits of the new policy initiatives are delivered in a timely and effective manner.