Gary Gray (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service and Integrity) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969, it is expedient to carry out the following proposed work which was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works and on which the committee has duly reported to Parliament: Integrated fit-out of new leased premises for the Australian Taxation Office at 12-26 Franklin Street, Adelaide, SA.

The Australian Taxation Office, ATO, proposes to undertake an integrated fit-out of new leased premises at 12-26 Franklin Street, Adelaide, South Australia. The new premises will replace the existing three ATO locations in the Adelaide CBD. The leases for two of these properties will expire in 2012 with the remaining lease due to expire in 2014. It is expected that the co-location into a single new building will provide the ATO with considerable advantages in terms of building design, operational performance and efficiency, long-term viability and maintenance. The estimated outturn cost of the proposal is $54.2 million plus GST. In its report, the PWC has recommended that these works proceed.

Subject to parliamentary approval, the proposed integrated fit-out works are scheduled to start in May 2011 and be completed by 31 October 2012. The developer has initiated work on site with the excavation and pier-drilling of the basement areas already underway. The ATO is expected to take up occupancy of the building in November 2012. On behalf of the government, I thank the committee for its support. I commend the motion to the House.

Question agreed to.

I move:

That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969, it is expedient to carry out the following proposed work which was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works and on which the committee has duly reported to Parliament: Proposed development and construction of housing for the Department of Defence at Largs North (Bayriver), Port Adelaide, SA.

Defence Housing Australia, DHA, proposes to develop an 8.8 hectare site at Largs North in Port Adelaide. The site is owned by the Land Management Corporation of South Australia, which has invited DHA to undertake the development on its behalf. The proposal will provide an additional 35 homes for Australian Defence Force personnel and their families posted to RAAF Base Edinburgh, Keswick Barracks and the nearby ASC facilities at Osborne where the air warfare destroyer project will be based.

Known as Bayriver, the site will be subdivided into 123 lots capable of accommodating a mix of detached homes and medium density terrace style houses. The lots not required for defence will be sold to the general public, creating a mixed civilian and defence community and reducing DHA’s net outlay. The total outturn cost proposal is estimated at $38.2 million, inclusive of GST and land acquisition, with the net costs reduced through the sales of surplus lots.

In its report, the Public Works Committee has recommended that these works proceed subject to the recommendations of the committee. DHA accepts and will implement those recommendations. Subject to parliamentary approval, development will commence in April 2011 and housing construction will commence in December 2011. Housing construction will be completed in November 2012. On behalf of the government, I would like to thank the committee for its support. I commend the motion to the House.

Question agreed to.

I move:

That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969, it is expedient to carry out the following proposed work which was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works and on which the committee has duly reported to Parliament: HMAS Penguin and Pittwater Annexe Redevelopment, Mosman and Clareville, NSW.

HMAS Penguin is the home of the Royal Australian Navy Diving School, the Army Dive Wing, the recompression chamber facility and the Submarine and Underwater Medicine Unit. The proposed works will provide the Navy upgraded operational and training facilities at HMAS Penguin and Pittwater Annexe to enable Navy to meet its training commitments. The proposed works, estimated to cost $63.34 million plus GST, will include redevelopment of the waterfront, site civil works and the upgrade of base services and infrastructure at HMAS Penguin, along with an internal refurbishment of the Pittwater Annexe. Refurbishment of two historic waterfront buildings at HMAS Penguin will preserve them for future generations. Traffic management will be improved on Middle Head Road, with proposed changes to the base entry.

In its report, the PWC has recommended that these works proceed. Subject to parliamentary approval, the construction schedule is expected to commence in mid-2011 and is expected to be completed by mid-2013. On behalf of the government, I would like to thank the committee for its support. I commend the motion to the House.

Question agreed to.

I move:

That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969 and by reason of the urgent nature of the work, it is expedient that the following proposed work be carried out without having been referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works: Infrastructure and upgrade works at the Immigration Detention Centre at Northam, WA.

On 18 October 2010 the government announced that new detention facilities will be developed to take pressure off Australia’s existing migration detention network. As a result of this announcement, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship has identified a site on Commonwealth land in Western Australia to establish a detention facility. The site encompasses part of the Northam training camp, which is a large defence site 80 kilometres north-east of Perth. This facility will be developed to accommodate up to 1,500 single, adult males. The estimated outturn cost of the proposal is $164.5 million plus GST and is inclusive of capital expenditure. Subject to parliamentary approval, construction will commence within four weeks and be completed by mid-2011.

The House would be aware that existing detention facilities are nearing capacity, and it is incumbent on the government to provide appropriate accommodation for irregular maritime arrivals. Because of the pressure on existing facilities and the need to treat people in a humane way, the government needs to act quickly to engage contractors and begin the necessary work. The proposal to proceed with a construction project without referral to the Public Works Committee is not common. The government very much supports the work of the Public Works Committee and has not taken this decision lightly. I commend the motion to the House.

Question agreed to.