Australia Awards Contract for New Navy Facilities

750 construction jobs in WA for new Navy facilities

Western Australia will receive a timely, major economic boost with up to 750 construction jobs supported through works set to commence later this year on new Defence facilities at HMAS Stirling and Henderson.

Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Melissa Price MP, today announced the award of a $365 million managing contract to Lendlease Building Contractors for the first tranche of works at HMAS Stirling and the Australian Maritime Complex.

The new facilities will support Navy’s new Perth-based ships, as well as the increased number of Navy personnel living and training at HMAS Stirling.

Minister Price said the Morrison Government’s record investment in defence capability was more important now than ever.

“Major infrastructure projects like these will continue to support our defence and construction industries at a time of great uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Minister Price said.

“The Morrison Government has ensured local industry is given maximum opportunity to be involved, with Lendlease committing to an 85 per cent target for local sub-contract work under our Defence Policy for Industry Participation.

“These works are the third package to be delivered under the Navy Capability Infrastructure Sub-program, which will total approximately $2.1 billion of new facilities and infrastructure to be delivered across Australia over the next six years.”

The facilities at HMAS Stirling include living-in accommodation and a specialist training centre to train Navy’s crews in operating and maintaining the new Arafura Class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs).

The Australian Maritime Complex site will be used by Navy, in concert with key industry partners, for operational maintenance and through-life support of the Arafura Class.

Today’s announcement follows the commencement of construction of the remaining ten new Arafura Class OPVs, being built at the Civmec shipyard in Henderson. The first two OPVs are being built in Adelaide.

The first of the Arafura Class vessels, HMAS Arafura, will be based at HMAS Stirling, is planned to commence trials in 2021 and begin operational employment from 2022.