House debates

Monday, 22 June 2015

Committees

Public Works Committee; Reference

3:17 pm

Photo of Michael McCormackMichael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance) Share 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 Perth Air Traffic Services Centre—Modernisation Works.

Airservices 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 provision of air traffic control in both civilian- and military-controlled airspace.

To achieve this outcome, Airservices is proposing to refurbish existing facilities in Perth, Western Australia, to modernise the facility and to upgrade the existing the supporting infrastructure to enable delivery of the new system. This is in addition to works in Melbourne and Brisbane, which I referred to the Public Works Committee for inquiry just last week.

Under the OneSKY project, the Perth air traffic management system will provide civilian and military air traffic services for Perth airport and the nearby Royal Australian Air Force Base Pearce, and will become a key component of a national disaster recovery and business resumption capability in Australia.

The current Perth air traffic management system facility has been in operation since the late 1990s. Today, the building houses the civil and military air traffic controllers, separately managing arrivals and departures into Perth and Pearce, and includes both an operations centre and an equipment room. The proposed works include a new plant room, an upgrade and reconfiguration of the existing buildings and infrastructure and an upgrade to the fire protection system.

The proposal also includes upgrades to the existing site security systems, together with a closed-circuit television system and a new perimeter fence. The project is a valued at $23.1 million, excluding GST. These costs include all development and delivery costs, management and design fees, construction costs, 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 in late 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: Campbell Barracks Redevelopment Project, Swanbourne, Western Australia.

The Department of Defence is proposing to construct new, modern, adaptive and purpose-built facilities and improved infrastructure to support the requirements of the Special Air Service Regiment in Campbell Barracks at Swanbourne in Western Australia.

The existing SASR facilities at Campbell Barracks are outdated and not to a standard which will ensure the SASR can efficiently manage a high level of operational readiness, capability and ability to meet Defence requirements. Many of the buildings are at the end of their design life, do not meet relevant Building Code standards and have inherent building, fire compliance and work health and safety issues. These facilities are unnecessarily eroding Defence's facility operations budget.

The redevelopment project will replace ageing and obsolete facilities with an infrastructure solution which will enable the SASR to maintain and develop its current operational capabilities efficiently and effectively. The project will provide a new operations precinct, which includes working accommodation, new and refurbished operational support squadron facilities, a new entry precinct and a fibre transmission facility. The project will deliver upgraded facilities, services and infrastructure and demolition of 34 obsolete facilities.

The project is valued at an estimated $223.6 million, excluding GST. It includes the construction costs, management and design fees, furniture, information and communications technology, fittings and equipment and contingencies and escalation allowances. Subject to parliamentary approval of the project, construction is expected to begin in early 2016 and to be completed by late 2018. I commend the motion to the House.

Question agreed to.