Making missiles in the Hunter won't target the biggest threat to our future

Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy's dismissal of missile factory critics as a "vocal minority" ('Conroy blasts missile factory critics as plant takes shape', Newcastle Herald 20/5) ignores the genuine concerns of many Hunter residents who envision a different future for our region.

While Mr Conroy claims the $850 million Kongsberg plant will become the "bedrock of Aussie manufacturing," he is tethering our economy to the multi-billion dollar arms export industry rather than the sustainable industries of the future.