On 20 August 2024 the Chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, Mr Graham Perrett MP, presented the sixth Public Works Committee Report of 2024 to the House of Representatives.
This report considers three proposals referred to the Committee between May and July 2024.
One of the projects, the upgrade of infrastructure and facilities at HMAS Stirling, is expected to cost $738.1 million. From 2027, HMAS Stirling will serve as a base for the Submarine Rotational Force – West (SRF – West), a rotational force of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines from the US and UK under the AUKUS agreement.
During its inquiry, the Committee heard serious concerns about the proposed works from community organisations, local government representatives and members of the local community. Some of these concerns—for example, those relating to the AUKUS agreement and the utility of nuclear-powered submarines for Australia—fall outside the scope of the Committee's inquiry. The nuclear safety and environmental impact of the project will be subject to separate approval processes under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act and by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency. The Committee also heard about the impact the proposed works will have on local infrastructure, such as transport and housing, which is already stressed.
Mr Perrett MP said "The Committee urges Defence to provide extensive and genuine consultation opportunities on all issues of concern raised by the community. Defence should continue this consultation during the construction phase and be prepared to adapt its approach to address community concerns."
A second proposal relates to the fit-out of the new Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices (CPO) at One Festival Tower in Adelaide. The new Offices will be larger, and better equipped to handle surge capacity, than the ageing facilities currently located on King William Street. In order to ensure the physical safety of Australia's parliamentarians, the Committee recommends the Australian Federal Police be involved in the ongoing design process of this fit-out, and at an earlier stage in any subsequent CPO fit-outs.
The report also recommended expediency for the Reserve Bank of Australia – Head Office Storage and Logistics Change project.
