The Turnbull Government will invest $100 million in Navy related industrial infrastructure and sustainment in Western Australia between 2017 and 2020, a government statement said today (21 Feb 2017).The investment in shipbuilding production lines and facilities, including wharves, jetties and cranes, will occur on both Defence Estate, particularly HMAS Stirling (Fleet Base West), and at the Henderson industrial precinct.
This will position the Henderson Shipyard to remain a world class and internationally competitive facility for many decades to come.
The new infrastructure will allow more ships to be built and sustained at the precinct creating and maintaining jobs for the region.
The $100 million investment highlights the critical role Western Australia plays in the nation’s shipbuilding and submarine programs.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the investment would create more jobs in Western Australia and secure the future of the defence industry in the region for decades to come.
“Our unprecedented investment in defence industry in Western Australia, and around the country, is about job creation and increasing defence capability, not only now, but for future generations”, the Prime Minister said.
“This means new work for builders, architects, electricians, glaziers, and many more – all of whom will be working on developing and maintaining state of the art national security capabilities.”
Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne said the Government’s infrastructure investment would contribute to continuous naval shipbuilding and enhanced sustainment of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Fleet, with Western Australia being home to a large proportion of RAN maritime capability.
“Continuous naval shipbuilding and the development and maintenance of critical infrastructure is also identified as an investment priority in the 2016 Defence White Paper,” Minister Pyne said.
“The upgrades will not only ensure the shipyard and companies that own and use the precinct have the infrastructure to support these existing projects but are also best placed to successfully bid for future shipbuilding and sustainment work.”
The Turnbull Government has previously announced 10 of the Navy’s 12 new Offshore Patrol Vessels and up to 21 steel-hulled Pacific Patrol Boats will be built in Western Australia creating and sustaining hundreds of jobs.
Infrastructure investment has also commenced at Henderson in support of the Future Submarine Program.
This is part of the Turnbull Government’s $89 billion investment in naval ships and submarines over the next 20 years to develop a strong and sustainable naval shipbuilding industry.
Over the next decade, Defence will spend around $2.4 billion upgrading Defence facilities in WA, and a further $1.9 billion over the following decade.
This includes upgrades to HMAS Stirling, Campbell Barracks, RAAF Bases Pearce, Curtin and Learmonth, the Harold E Holt Communications Facility, and Yampi Sound Training Area; and enhancing Special Forces capabilities to support the Special Air Services Regiment.
