SA minister wants meeting with Payne

South Australia's defence industries minister is miffed that his federal counterpart hasn't found time to meet with him.

Martin Hamilton-Smith says he's been unable to secure a meeting with Defence Minister Marise Payne, despite making multiple requests since she was promoted to cabinet almost six months ago.

It comes as SA pushes to secure billions of dollars in shipbuilding contracts amid sometimes frosty relations with the federal government.

"What the Australian people expect of us is for everyone to act like grown-ups, to co-operate, to save jobs and build a future for our children and our grandchildren" he told reporters on Wednesday.

"That's what I'm doing and that's what I'd like to see from Canberra."

Mr Hamilton-Smith has been criticised for his response to the defence white paper, which has promised billions of dollars in shipbuilding work for SA.

Ms Payne said she was "profoundly disappointed" with her state counterpart for raising fears that SA might lose out on an offshore patrol vessels contract.

"How you could be so negative the day after an announcement of this nature, which actually confirms in black and white ... $30 billion of future frigates built in your state," she told ABC radio on Friday.

A former state Liberal leader, Mr Hamilton-Smith was branded a traitor by senior federal Liberals when he defected to become an independent minister in the Labor government in 2014.

Ms Payne has been contacted for comment.