Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator O'Sullivan for the question, and also for his support for our defence forces in Western Australia and for welcoming HMAS Arunta home—thank you.

Australian submarines remain one of the most important capabilities in our Defence Force. The Collins class submarines are only halfway through their life and they are now very, very capable. They're capable of shaping, capable of deterring and also capable of responding to Australia's complex and very rapidly changing strategic environment. To preserve our Collins class submarines, the Morrison government is very carefully considering the management of our entire submarine fleet over the next 50 years. We are ensuring that the Collins class continues to remain regionally superior and in service well into the 2030s. We will continue to ensure that they exceed international benchmarks, again, for decades to come. This is achieved through planned and technological upgrades done in both Western Australia and South Australia, implemented during full-cycle, mid-cycle and intermediate-cycle docking. With Australian industry, we will grow our submarine capability ahead of the Attack class submarines transition in the 2030s and out into the 2040s.

Good management of this fleet has not always been the case. Never forget, when we came into government in 2013 we inherited low submarine availability, and Navy often struggled to get a single boat operational out to sea. There was no plan to upgrade and extend the life of our Collins-class submarines, no decision had been made on the future submarine sustainment and there was no naval shipbuilding and sustainment plan. But this government has turned the shipbuilding and sustainment industry into a truly national sovereign capability.