Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I table a response to a question taken on notice during question time on 30 July 2019 asked by Senator Patrick relating to the Future Submarine program. I seek leave to have the document incorporated into Hansard.

Leave granted.

The answer read as follows—

Dear Mr President

I write with regard to a question I took on notice from Senator Patrick on Tuesday, 30 July 2019 on the matter of the Future Submarine Program.

I can confirm that the head of the Future Submarine Program wrote to the Naval Group nearly two years ago about how it should approach the question of designing its future submarine construction yard in Osborne to accommodate the most efficient construction of 12 Attack class submarines — a task that will require at its peak over 2000 workers directly involved in construction.

In that letter the head of the program confirmed two assumptions could be used to allow planning of the future yard to progress. These were planning assumptions, nothing more.

One of those assumptions was that land currently occupied by ASC Submarines would be made available to Naval Group following the 2024 FullCycle Docking to allow for further development of the submarine construction yard, inclusive of access to Port Adelaide River.

This statement does not mean that the Full Cycle Docking will be moving interstate. It simply means that planning for how to develop the most efficient construction yard for the future submarines should not exclude the land currently used by ASC.

Design of the Submarine Construction Yard remains under development and yet to be accepted by Government. I can again confirm that no decision has been made on the matter of full cycle docking for the Collins Class Submarine. I can also confirm that ASC was not aware of Admiral Sammut's written advice to Naval Group. Ihave copied this letter to Senator Patrick.