Port Adelaide businesses told to wake up or miss out on $50 billion Future Submarines project

PORT Adelaide businesses need to “wake up” and act now to be part of the $50 billion Future Submarine project that will create thousands of local jobs for the next 60 years.

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PORT Adelaide businesses need to “wake up” and act now to be part of the $50 billion Future Submarine project that will create thousands of local jobs for the next 60 years.

At a briefing for local business owners this week, Naval Group — the French defence company which has the contract to build the submarines for the Australian Navy — said now was the time to register to be part of the “biggest opportunity this state has ever come across”.

The long-term project will create 3000 jobs in the submarine supply chain and another 1100 jobs working directly on the submarines — and it will continue to employ local workers until the 2080s.

Naval Group team leader for supplier procurement Sharon Stace said the first of 12 submarines will begin construction in 2024 but before then a shipyard needs to be built at Techport in Osborne and a workforce recruited and trained.

She said jobs would start to flow immediately, with the tender to build the submarine shipyard scheduled to be released later this week.
Suppliers as diverse as infrastructure builders, food suppliers and gym equipment would be required. This is in addition to the suppliers needed for the one million components required to build each submarine.

“I just say to people put your interest in and at some point we’ll come knocking on the door I’m sure,” Ms Stace told the business owners at last week’s meeting organised by Port Adelaide Enfield and Charles Sturt councils.

Steven Patriarca, who is a team leader for infrastructure procurement at Naval Group, said there was a “massive focus” on using South Australian suppliers.

“There’s opportunities, too, for businesses to retool up and provide another service — don’t feel like because you don’t currently have stainless steel bolts that are going to go into the next submarine that you can’t (register) because it could be about where you want to be,” Mr Patriarca said.

The submarine build will continue until the 2050s and then maintenance will be required until the 2080s.

Port Adelaide Enfield Council’s economic development manager Ed Scanlon said there were “a million opportunities” for local businesses if they get on Naval Group’s radar.

He said the council was assisting local businesses to apply for grants and connecting them to the “defence chain”.

Ray Hampson, from the North West Business Alliance, said “if we don’t all wake up it is going to bypass Port Adelaide”.

“We need more things like this (the business briefing) because people don’t realise what is going to happen,” Mr Hampson said.

Simon Kennedy, owner of Smart Fabrication and Adelaide Ship Construction International in Port Adelaide, said he expected to hire about 100 new staff in the next couple of years due to extra work from the submarine build.

“Seven years ago, I went out and bought Adelaide Ship Construction International because I knew a defence boom was coming,” Mr Kennedy said.

“I went out and bought the second-largest shipyard in South Australia to be ready for this boom and it will probably quadruple in size in the next three to five years.

“This is huge for Port Adelaide — all the pubs, clubs, everyone.”

Ken Duldig, sales manager of APC Technology in Cheltenham, said the company wanted to provide computer systems for the submarines.

“We hope we can double our staff — we currently have equipment in the Collins Class (submarines) so we are hoping to expand on that.”

Plant manager of B&R Enclosures, Doug Searle, said his company, which makes transformer cabinets for the National Broadband Network, had started to think about the components they could make for submarines.

“B&R is investing in training and research to get it defence-ready,” Mr Searle said.

To register your business, go to the Industry Capability Network (ICN) website.