Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

(1) Defence is aware of an offer by the Parents' Committee to provide funding to air condition the dormitory. Defence does not generally accept funds from third parties to undertake facilities works on Defence owned buildings. Defence has agreed to fund the purchase and installation of an air conditioning system into the dormitory.

(2) Defence does not have a copy of the quote obtained by the Parents' Committee but understands that it was for the purchase and installation of off-the-shelf split air-conditioning systems. The Defence cost estimate of $80,000 is for an engineer designed solution that meets the requirements of Commonwealth and Defence building codes that apply to all Defence facilities and are stringently applied to sleeping areas.

(3) Defence is unaware of the process, design parameters, or compliance requirements that the Parents' Committee may have used to obtain their quotation and is therefore unable to discuss a direct comparison between the Parents' Committee quote and the Defence project costs.

Defence is required to follow a very prescriptive process through design and procurement to ensure that the designed solution achieves compliance with the Building Code of Australia, Defence fire protection engineering requirements, energy efficiency and environmental regulations, and competitive tendering. Defence needs to ensure maintainability and fitness for purpose for the life of the systems. This discrepancy is assumed to be a result of the differing approach taken by the Parents' Committee.

(4) The air-conditioning installed in the mess area at Komiatum Barracks was a maintenance upgrade to an existing system not a new installation. This upgrade was part of a separate project for refurbishment of the existing structures at Komiatum Barracks.

(5) The Komiatum Barracks' dormitory is designed to be cooled with flow through ventilation and ceiling fans. Defence is not aware that the temperature reaches 36 degrees Celsius inside the Komiatum Barracks' dormitory.

(6) Defence has approved funding and a project to air condition the Komiatum Barracks' dormitory for the financial year 2011-12.

(7) A procurement process will be undertaken shortly and once a sub-contractor has been identified the purchase of the air conditioners and installation works can commence. The works are planned for delivery in the July to September 2011 quarter.

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