Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present the committee's Report 2/2026: Referral made in September 2025.

Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e).

by leave—Again, on behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present the committee's second report for 2026 and the fourth for the 48th Parliament. This report considers the following proposed work: Department of Defence Blamey Barracks Kapooka redevelopment project, Kapooka, New South Wales. The proposed works have a total estimated cost of $889.2 million.

In considering these proposed works, the committee received submissions and held a private briefing, a public hearing and an in-camera hearing with the Department of Defence, as well as conducting a site inspection at Blamey Barracks in Wagga Wagga. After giving due consideration to the evidence that the committee received, the committee is recommending that it is expedient for the proposed work to proceed.

The committee recognises the crucial role that the barracks play in the basic training of Army recruits and that having modern, fit-for-purpose facilities for the recruits to live, train and work in is vital for the workforce planning of Defence as outlined in the 2024 National Defence Strategy. On the site inspection of the barracks, the committee was able to see firsthand the relatively dilapidated state of some of the current facilities, which reinforced the committee's confidence that the redevelopment is required.

As a final remark, I note that, in the course of the inquiry, the committee received correspondence from a local resident highlighting concerns around PFAS contamination of the area surrounding the barracks and claiming that there had been inadequate consultation from Defence on this issue. While I recognise that the PFAS contamination management and remediation plan for Blamey Barracks will occur in conjunction with the wider Riverina redevelopment project and is not directly related to the current proposed works, I would strongly encourage Defence to proactively engage with residents of the area on this very issue.

I thank my committee colleagues and the committee secretariat for their participation and assistance in the Blamey Barracks inquiry. I commend the report to the House.