Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance) 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: OneSKY equipment rooms project in Melbourne and Brisbane.

Air Services Australia and the Department of Defence are planning to replace their existing air traffic control systems with the new civil military air traffic management system being delivered under the OneSKY project to provide a common platform for air traffic control in both civilian and military controlled airspace. To achieve this outcome, Air Services Australia proposes to construct new equipment rooms in Melbourne and Brisbane to house the critical OneSKY infrastructure in a Defence protected status building. The proposed works will include facilities which can be run in parallel with the existing system while providing a clear separation between the existing operational air traffic management system and the OneSKY system.

The project will require continual work to develop and test the system without disruption to existing operations and operational equipment. The project is estimated to cost $35.4 million in total excluding GST. These costs include all development and delivery costs, management and design fees, construction costs, furniture, fittings, contingencies and an allowance for escalation.

Subject to parliamentary approval, the proposed works are scheduled to commence in late 2015 with a staged practical completion and commissioning towards the end of 2016.

I commend the motion to the House.

Question agreed to.

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: Fit-out of existing leased premises for the Australian Taxation Office at 121-125 Henry Street, Penrith, NSW.

The Australian Taxation Office proposes to undertake a fit-out of existing leased premises at 121-125 Henry Street, Penrith, New South Wales. The ATO has a substantial presence in the Penrith region and for the past 20 years has been located in the building where it has a lease in place. The ATO has substantially reduced the amount of space it will retain in Penrith in line with the agency's off-ramping strategy. The reduction in space equates to a saving of $38.9 million excluding GST over 10 years, representing an excellent outcome for the Commonwealth.

The new fit-out will provide the ATO with considerable advantages in terms of building design and operating efficiencies and long-term viability through improvements in building infrastructure. The estimated cost of the fit-out is $19.6 million excluding GST and includes all costs associated it with an integrated fit-out as well as furniture, workstations, contingencies and builders' costs. Subject to the approval of the project by the parliament, fit-out is expected to commence in late 2015, with staged practical completion scheduled from mid-2016. I commend the motion to the House.

Question agreed to.

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: REDFIN Phase 1B Infrastructure—facilities required for the new fleet of special operations vehicles.

The Department of Defence is proposing to provide new and refurbished infrastructure at four locations across Australia for the acquisition of special operations vehicles and communications systems for the Australian Defence Force special forces. The ADF special forces are highly trained and specially equipped to conduct operations at short notice in a range of domestic and international environments. Special forces provide the Commonwealth with a range of strategic options beyond those available through conventional forces. Project REDFIN will provide new and upgraded facilities and infrastructure essential to the operation of the special forces which include new working accommodation, maintenance hangars, storage and workshop facilities. The project is valued at an estimated $50.4 million excluding GST. Subject to parliamentary approval of the project, construction is expected to begin in early 2016, with staged completion of the facilities occurring between mid-2016 and mid-2018. I commend the motion to the House.

Question agreed to.

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: fit-out of leased premises for the Administrative Appeals Tribunal at 83 Clarence Street, Sydney.

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal proposes to undertake a fit-out of its leased premises at 83 Clarence Street, Sydney, New South Wales to accommodate the amalgamation of Commonwealth merits review tribunals following the passage of the Tribunals Amalgamation Act 2015.

From 1 July 2015, the Migration Review Tribunal, the Refugee Review Tribunal and the Social Security Appeals Tribunal would be amalgamated into a single Administrative Appeals Tribunal. This amalgamation will deliver savings through operational efficiencies and through the consolidation of property holdings and streamlining of back office administrative processes currently performed individually by each tribunal. The move to a single location for the AAT in Sydney will allow for the rationalisation of resources, particularly in the sharing of public facilities such as hearing and conference rooms across jurisdictions. The project will provide new working accommodation for tribunal staff and members and hearing rooms and other facilities necessary for the conduct of administrative reviews. The design of a new fit-out will allow the new AAT to improve the service to clients by using new technologies to deliver services more efficiently and effectively and by providing a single point of access for most Commonwealth merit reviews. It will give a physical dimension to the amalgamation which has been achieved in law.

The estimated total cost of the project is $18.1 million excluding GST and includes construction costs, management and design fees, furniture, fittings, workstations, contingencies and escalation allowances. Subject to parliamentary approval of the project, construction is expected to begin in late 2015, with staged practical completion scheduled from early 2016. I commend the motion to the House.

Question agreed to.

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: Royal Australian Air Force Base Williamtown Redevelopment Stage 2 Project.

The Department of Defence is proposing to upgrade and replace ageing critical infrastructure and construct new facilities at the Royal Australian Air Force Base Williamtown in New South Wales. The project will improve the functionality, capability and security of the facilities at RAAF Base Williamtown. The base has a long history—a proud history—and an important future as a site for Joint Strike Fighter operations. The project will upgrade base engineering services, relocate the main base entrance, provide new and refurbished working accommodation and demolish dilapidated buildings which are not suitable for adaptive reuse.

Office and working accommodation is dispersed across the base, reflecting ad hoc changes over the years. The majority of office accommodation is no longer functional for its current purpose, resulting in operational inefficiencies. Many of the buildings are at the end of their design life and do not meet current building codes and standards for work health and safety, security or ecologically sustainable development requirements. The project is valued at an estimated $274 million excluding GST and includes construction costs, management fees, furniture, fittings and equipment, contingencies and escalation allowances. Subject to parliamentary approval of the project, construction is expected to begin in mid-2016 and be completed by mid-2021. I commend the motion to the House.

Question agreed to.