Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to start by paying tribute to the member for her speech. The Australia-Singapore Military Training Initiative is so important to my region. It is a $2.25 billion investment into Townsville and the surrounding areas to welcome up to 14,000 personnel from Singapore, training up to 18 weeks each year. Today I want to highlight the first major milestone of the initiative in my electorate, which I had the pleasure of opening last week. The $5.4 million explosive ordnance storage earth covered building—ECB—is the first step ahead of the establishment of a new military training area near Greenvale. Completed ahead of time, the ECB will extend explosive ordnance storage for the Singapore Armed Forces when they train in my electorate of Herbert. It has been built by locals for our Singaporean partners. This has been local work for local people, creating local jobs. Seventeen companies within the Townsville area participated in the construction of the ECB, providing essential services to Defence, such as concrete supply, concrete reinforcement, waterproofing, electrical and communications works, fire protection, structural steel, civil works, security, site accommodation, mechanical works, painting and rendering. It is so important for the region and the Australia-Singapore Military Training Initiative. The people of Townsville welcome the Singaporeans when they visit a beautiful part of the world.