Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Canning for his question. He's a very proud Western Australian and represents a large part of the area where the workers of Henderson are drawn from. The very good news for Perth, and Henderson particularly, is that the government's decision to build nine anti-submarine warfare frigates in Australia—by BAE and ASC shipbuilding, at a cost of $35 billion—that we announced a few weeks ago will have an enormous impact in Henderson and in Perth generally because we will build $670 million of new infrastructure to support the Hunter class frigates, driving jobs, driving growth and supporting Western Australian businesses. The HMAS Stirling will become the home for the Hunter class anti-submarine warfare frigates training. Henderson will become the hub for the maintenance and sustainment of the Hunter class frigates in the future, when they are completed. The investment in Stirling and in Henderson includes an extension of existing wharves; construction of maintenance and storage buildings, new medical facilities and accommodation; and the new Navy training systems centre—all because of this government's decision to make Henderson the centre for those parts of the anti-submarine warfare frigate project.

This is in addition to other commitments that we've announced and made to Henderson over the last couple of years: $300 million in upgrades to HMAS Stirling and Henderson because of the offshore patrol vessels, many of them being based in Perth; $150 million in upgrading the wharves and accommodation because of the new supply ships being based as well at Henderson and Stirling; and a $367 million commitment to redevelop the HMAS Stirlinginfrastructure, including power and water upgrades. And that's just the Commonwealth spending. There's also the $70 million new shipbuilding facility that Civmec is building to build the offshore patrol vessels.

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