House debates

Tuesday, 23 November 2010

Committees

Public Works Committee; Report

4:37 pm

Photo of Janelle SaffinJanelle Saffin (Page, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present the fourth report for 2010 of the committee relating to referrals made in October 2010.

Order that the report be made a parliamentary Paper.

by leave—This report addresses three works, in New South Wales and South Australia, with a total estimated cost of just over $155 million. In every case the committee has recommended the House of Representatives agree to the works proceeding.

The works in this report are:

  • The proposed HMAS Penguin and Pittwater Annexe redevelopment in Mosman and Clareville, New South Wales, by the Department of Defence, at an estimated cost of $63.3 million;
  • The proposed development and construction of housing for Defence at Largs North (Bayriver), Port Adelaide, South Australia, by Defence Housing Australia, at an estimated cost of $38.2 million; and
  • The proposed integrated fit-out of new leased premises for the Australian Taxation Office at 12-26 Franklin Street, Adelaide, South Australia, by the Australian Taxation Office, at an estimated cost of $54.2 million.

Let me start with the HMAS Penguin redevelopment. The committee inquired into a substantial proposal that will update a number of very old facilities. The committee undertook a site inspection on the base, and is very strongly of the view that the works are needed. The Royal Australian Navy Diving School has made do with very limited space, and ageing buildings, and the committee fully supports purpose-designed accommodation for the school. The committee is particularly concerned about the current accommodation for the submarine and underwater medicine unit, which is entirely unsuitable for its purpose. The committee fully supports the proposed new facilities at HMAS Penguin.

In Adelaide, the committee considered two proposals.

Firstly, Defence Housing Australia has proposed the development of vacant land for housing, including the construction of some houses for members of the Australian Defence Force. The committee was particularly concerned by a small amount of contaminated land that remains on-site, and has recommended that DHA fully remediate this small area of land as part of the project.

The committee has had an ongoing interest in the provision of ‘accessible housing’ by Defence Housing Australia, and the committee is delighted that DHA has undertaken to build its future homes to the silver level under the new Livable Housing Design Guidelines. This will ensure that its houses are flexible, capable of easy adaptation to the needs of residents of all ages and abilities. The committee commends DHA for taking this important decision.

And secondly, the Australian Taxation Office has proposed a new fit-out for its entire Adelaide CBD staff. This project would provide the ATO with a single location, realising organisational efficiencies as well as creating a greater sense of community. The ATO is consolidating a number of properties in Australian capital cities, and the committee is interested to see that these new projects benefit ATO staff as well as the organisation. The committee is pleased to have the assurance that, despite these consolidations, the ATO is not reducing its presence in regional and rural Australia.

This is the first report of the new parliament, and the committee has worked hard to ensure that these proposals, originally referred during the last parliament, were dealt with as quickly and efficiently as possible. The committee has also fully implemented its new Manual of Procedures, which includes greater scrutiny of the confidential costings of each project.

I would like to thank members and senators for their work in relation to these inquiries. I commend the report to the House.