Ask anyone on the street to run you through the ins and outs of Collins-class submarine full cycle docking and you’re likely to either get a blank stare or a complaint that WA has “lost out” to South Australia.
I suspect most fall into the first category, but for those who fall into the secondary category, let me reassure you that there is so much more to WA’s defence industry than what was a submarine maintenance contract that we’ve never actually had to lose.
The facts are that, in addition to the many billions of dollars worth of work already happening at Henderson, courtesy of the Morrison Government’s investments, WA is now set to reap the benefits of yet another major shipbuilding project.
The Premier was too busy playing politics with the Prime Minister’s announcement on Thursday that full cycle docking work would simply continue on in Adelaide to notice that the PM also revealed the construction of up to eight mine-hunting ships at Henderson right here in WA. That’s another five on top of the three we announced in 2019.
Construction of these mid-sized vessels is expected to be worth about $5 billion – a sum far greater than the value of full cycle docking.
That’s a massive win for the WA economy, and one I wish I could dedicate the entirety of this column space to.
But after two years as the Defence Industry Minister, I have well and truly come to understand that it’s all but impossible to have a discussion about WA’s defence industry without that “F-C-D” acronym getting a mention.
Indeed, I wrote in these very pages back in December 2019 that “rarely does a week go by without a story in The West Australian or Adelaide Advertiser about the competition for the Collins-class submarine full cycle docking work”.
Mark McGowan and his Government – who ironically now find themselves awash with more cash than any other government in the country – have been the drivers of an audacious claim that FCD somehow loomed as the economic saviour of WA.
Those claims centred on FCD supposedly providing the WA economy with a $9 billion boost.
That figure is just fanciful.
Let me tell you, that figure is not only news to me, but also news to Defence. And they would know.
Defence spends about $600 million a year on Collins-class sustainment (aka maintenance and upgrades), and a significant portion of that is already spent here in WA.
Defence estimates FCD would have brought another $100 million of that $600 million to WA – nothing like the figure the WA Government has been touting.
It’s vital that we deal with the facts on these issues, not the fiction.
I am very proud of our Government’s record on naval shipbuilding in WA and any claim that WA has somehow been dudded is clearly ill-informed.
More than 50 vessels are being built or upgraded in WA, creating more than 2000 jobs by 2030.
A staggering $2.7 billion is being spent on our shipbuilding infrastructure, to ensure we can handle the load of work coming our way.
Perhaps Mr McGowan needs to spend less time in West Perth and more time closer to his electorate, where he might get a better understanding of the hive of activity happening at Henderson.
What is based in fact is that there are going to be enormous opportunities presented by our Government’s shift from the Attack Class submarine to nuclear-powered submarines.
In order to be effective nuclear stewards, Australia will need to be able to maintain and monitor them and understand – in intricate detail – how they operate.
With Defence continuing to work with the WA Government on delivering the large-vessel dry berth infrastructure identified in the 2020 Force Structure Plan, there is no doubt WA will be well positioned to sustain future nuclear submarines.
Naturally, that will lead to the creation of a specialised skillset that will further our pursuit of a workforce capable of building whatever we need at home, when we need it.
This is an exciting opportunity for WA to develop a new, highly specialised industry.
Nuclear-powered submarines are good news for our defence industry and good news for our universities.
And not just in Perth, either. I am confident that businesses Geraldton and our other regional centres will have roles to play in this endeavour.
Now that the location of FCD has been put to bed, let’s hope we can stop the political spin and put all our efforts into capitalising on the new and compelling opportunities that are in front of us.