Planning key to Tas defence business: Pyne

Tasmania can do more to improve its chances of winning defence contracts, federal minister Christopher Pyne says.

With billions of dollars worth of work up for grabs in the coming years as Australia invests in construction, maintenance and training connected to new and updated defence infrastructure, the island state is yet to realise a big slice of the pie.

"One of the things I would do ... is perhaps try and co-ordinate the effort better so that when there is an opportunity, Tasmanian businesses have as good a chance as anyone of taking advantage of that," the minister for defence industry told ABC Radio on Wednesday, adding that Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland have already followed South Australia's lead, setting out a plan for companies to work together.