David Coleman (Banks, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969, the following proposed work be referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works for consideration and report: Point Wilson waterside infrastructure remediation project, Point Wilson, Victoria.

The Department of Defence is proposing to undertake adaptive reuse and refurbishment of existing waterside infrastructure, the demolition of redundant and deteriorated infrastructure, and the construction of new infrastructure at the Point Wilson explosives area in Victoria. The 2016 Defence white paper identified the importance of key enabling capabilities of the defence estate, including logistic systems, such as explosive ordnance facilities, and foreshadowed the upgrading of the Point Wilson explosives area to conduct and sustain explosive ordnance operations in Australia.

This capital investment in infrastructure at the Point Wilson explosives area will bring economic benefits to the local economy, with the employment of a diverse range of skilled consultants and contractors during the construction phase to deliver and manage the works. The estimated cost of the project is $218.92 million, excluding GST. This includes the construction costs, the management and design fees, furniture, fittings, equipment, contingencies and escalation provisions. Subject to parliamentary approval, the project is planned to commence construction from late-July 2018 and be completed by mid-2021. I commend the motion to the House.

Question agreed to.