Claire Clutterham (Sturt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Like my home state of South Australia, Western Australia plays and will continue to play a critical role in Australia's defence manufacturing and in shoring up Australia's defence capability. The Albanese Labor government does have a laser sharp focus on delivery, particularly with respect to the delivery of the deterrence capability that this country needs. Home of Australia's defence manufacturing and world-class precincts that drive innovation and strategic defence projects, South Australia is a central player in this delivery, a role that I will always proudly champion.

In Western Australia this laser sharp focus has been demonstrated by the commitment to and investment in the Henderson defence precinct, a part of this country that I had the privilege to spend time at in my pre-politics role working for ASC, Australia's sovereign submarine partner. At Henderson I saw the drive and motivation of my colleagues as they worked on the midcycle docking of Australia's six Collins class submarines, which will remain a vital part of our nation's defence capability for several years to come.

The focus on investment in the Henderson defence precinct is designed to ensure that, in this strategic moment, our Defence Force has the equipment, capability, the people and the funding it needs to keep Australians safe. We can do that successfully if there is stability and continuity in the Defence portfolio so that we can undertake foundational strategic thinking, whether that be through the 2023 Defence Strategic Review our national defence strategy for 2024. The DSR placed emphasis on the need to deliver capability that not only allows us to defend but also allows us to effectively deter, and, in an era of rapid geopolitical change and uncertainty, a meaningful and genuine deterrence capability is critical. The object of deterrence is to decisively influence an adversary's decision-making process to prevent hostile action against Australia. Deterrence succeeds when a potential adversary refrains from acting based on an assessment that the likelihood of achieving an outcome is too low and the costs of acting are too high. This additional $12 billion investment in the defence precinct in Henderson in WA is a key pillar in this strategy to defend and deter. Delivering this is fundamental in his term of government.

The Henderson defence precinct will be home to world-class shipbuilding and sustainment and will deliver continuous naval shipbuilding in WA. It is also an eye to the future, representing a major milestone in the AUKUS pathway as Australia develops the capability to safely and securely own, operate and sustain conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines. As well as providing certainty to workers, certainty to industry and certainty to the Australian people, this $12 billion will contribute to the construction of surface vessels for the ADF, starting with the Army's landing craft and, pending successful consolidation, the domestic build element of Australia's future general-purpose frigates. It will provide facilities to support the sustainment of Australia's surface vessels. It will provide contingency docking capabilities for Australia's future conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarine fleet from the early 2030s. Importantly, for working people ,investment will not only support defence capability but will support 10,000 well-paid, high-skilled, long-term and secure jobs.

The investment also allows us to forge deeper partnerships with our key allies. The first three Mogami class frigates will be built in Japan, but it is anticipated that the remaining eight will be built in the Henderson defence precinct. Australia is an island continent, and it is vital that our maritime trade routes are secured. The general purpose Mogami class frigates are critical to this. The Henderson defence precinct will be critical for this, and its importance is underpinned by the fact that the development of the Mogami class frigates is one of the most significant capability decisions the Australian government has made since the commencement of the AUKUS optimal pathway in 2023.

Australia's naval capability will also be greatly enhanced by the investment in the Ghost Shark. This $1.7 billion contract with Anduril Australia means the delivery, maintenance and continual development of the Ghost Shark, which is a fleet of extra-large autonomous undersea vehicles designed and built in Australia.

Shoring up Australia's defence capability is not only a national imperative; it is an economic opportunity—and the Albanese Labor government is firmly focused on delivering both.

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