Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present the following reports: Report 9/2021: referrals made August 2021, and Report 10/2021: referral made October 2021.

Reports made parliamentary papers in accordance with standing order 39(e).

by leave—On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present the committee's ninth and 10th reports of 2021.

Report 9 of 2021 considers two proposals referred to the committee in August 2021. The first project is the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's transformation of Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville, Queensland, with an estimated cost of $40 million excluding GST. Home to the world's largest living coral aquarium, Reef HQ has operated in Townsville since 1987, educating thousands of people within Australia and internationally. The transformation of Reef HQ is the second stage in a two-stage program of works intended to revitalise this invaluable facility. Works will directly support enhanced education programs, onsite diving programs and the use of interactive technology to facilitate expanded remote learning capabilities.

The second project is the Department of Defence's facilities to support Land 19 phase 7B, short-range ground base air defence, at RAAF Base Edinburgh in South Australia. The project has an estimated cost of $266.1 million excluding GST. In line with the recommendations of the 2016 Defence white paper, the Department of Defence is seeking to modernise and upgrade its air defence capabilities. This will see the 16th Regiment of the Royal Australian Artillery relocate from Woodside Barracks to RAAF Base Edinburgh to utilise this improved capability. These works are critical to the delivery of a more capable vehicle based air defence system, which will provide Australian forces with greater flexibility in responding to threats independently or as part of coalition operations.

Report 10 of 2021 considers one proposal referred to the committee in October 2021. The project is the Department of Health fit-out of the Sirius Building, with approval sought from the committee to carry out works on the Woden office accommodation in Canberra, ACT. The project has an estimated cost of $64.25 million excluding GST. The project aims to consolidate the Department of Health's office accommodation in Woden, Canberra, from two sites to the Sirius Building, Canberra. The consolidation will reduce the leased office space from 62,466 square metres to 45,967 square metres and will deliver around $7 million per year in savings. The fit-out will see a partial refit of level 1 and a complete refit of levels 2 to 8 of the Sirius Building. These works draw on lessons learnt from the Department of Health's New Ways of Working program. This program will deliver a more flexible and accessible and healthier working environment which supports staff to work in ways that best suit their individual needs.

I'd like to thank the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the Department of Defence and the Department of Health for their comprehensive presentations. Although the committee was only able to travel to the Sirius Building to inspect proposed works, all entities provided sufficient detail in their presentations and briefings to ensure the committee was able to appreciate the importance and scope of the works. In considering the projects examined in reports 9 and 10 of 2021, the committee recommended that it is expedient that all works be carried out.

On a final note, on behalf of the committee, I would like to extend thanks to Brigadier Matt Galton. After over three years liaising with the committee on numerous medium-works projects and inquiries in the role of Director-General, Capital Facilities and Infrastructure Branch, Brigadier Galton will be moving on to a new role within the Department of Defence. The quality of works put forward, candid discussions of projects and professionalism that Brigadier Galton brought to his role have been invaluable, and the committee extends its thanks to Brigadier Galton and wishes him all the best for the future. I commend this report to the House.