Mike Kelly (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969, the following proposed work be referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works for consideration and report: Proposed development and construction of housing for the Department of Defence at Largs North (Bayriver), Port Adelaide, South Australia.

Defence Housing Australia proposes to develop an 8.8 hectare site at Largs North in Port Adelaide. The site is owned by the Land Management Corporation of South Australia, which has invited DHA to undertake the development on its behalf. The proposal will provide an additional 35 homes for Australian Defence Force personnel and their families posted to RAAF Base Edinburgh, Keswick Barracks and, in the future, the nearby Australian Submarine Corporation facilities at Osborne, where the Air Warfare Destroyer project will be based.

Known as Bayriver, the site will be subdivided into 123 lots capable of accommodating a total of 185 dwellings, mostly detached homes but also some medium-density terrace style houses. The lots not required for defence will be sold to the general public, creating a mixed civilian and defence community and reducing DHA’s net outlay. Bayriver is part of a major effort to construct housing for families moving to Adelaide in connection with the relocation of the 7th Battalion from Darwin. It will also replace houses that are reaching end of lease or that do not satisfy updated defence housing standards. In this regard, community standard housing is important to attracting and retaining the right people in the ADF. On a personal note, may I welcome back the ‘pig battalion’ to the family of stand-alone units in the Royal Australian Regiment.

The site is 25 kilometres from RAAF Base Edinburgh and 18 kilometres from the Adelaide city centre. It is only minutes from the Australian Submarine Corporation facilities at Osborne and is very well serviced by social infrastructure. Only minutes from the beach, Bayriver will deliver an excellent lifestyle opportunity for defence families. The development of the site and the construction of 35 houses will be managed by DHA and delivered through a number of contractors. Housing will accord with DHA’s national performance and design specifications.

The total out-turn cost of the proposal is estimated at $37 million, inclusive of GST and land acquisition, with the net costs reduced through the sales of surplus lots. Subject to parliamentary approval, construction will commence in April 2011 and housing construction in November 2011. Housing construction will be complete in November 2012. I commend the motion to the House.

Question agreed to.