$100m port boost: Road, rail revamp for defence precinct

A major overhaul of the transport network on Lefevre Peninsula will help ready the nation’s premier defence precinct for the construction of nuclear-powered submarines.

A $100m overhaul of the road and rail network on the Lefevre Peninsula will help ready the nation’s premier defence precinct for the construction of a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.

The Advertiser can reveal full details of the state government’s plans to upgrade several bustling intersections and a busy rail crossing to ease congestion around the defence shipbuilding precinct at Osborne.

The package, jointly funded with the federal government and supporting more than 200 jobs over the life of the project, will help cement South Australia’s status as one of the world’s leading shipbuilding destinations.

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said the improved road and rail access would be a “boon” to defence workers and Lefevre Peninsula residents.

“The defence industry is set to boom in South Australia, with the defence precinct (at Osborne) expected to double in size to support new submarines and other projects,” Mr Koutsantonis said.

Infrastructure Minister Tom Koutsantonis. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

“With an additional 5000 people set to be working in the area, it is vital that local roads and other infrastructure are upgraded effectively to manage more vehicles and freight, and to improve safety for all road users.”

With work expected to begin late next year, the state government is planning to realign and upgrade the Victoria and Pelican Point roads intersection.

That will involve adding dedicated right-turn lanes into defence industry carparks, upgraded pedestrian crossings, new bicycle lanes, new LED road lighting and other improvements.

The Victoria and Veitch roads junction will also be overhauled, with added turning lanes and new pedestrian crossings.

Roads allowing access to two future carparks at the Osborne shipbuilding precincts will be constructed off Victoria and Pelican Point roads.

The scope of the works is detailed in a Department for Infrastructure and Transport submission to state parliamment’s Public Works Committee, after the package was funded in the state budget.

The government is embarking on a campaign to inform the Lefevre Peninsula community of the project.

Victoria Rd around the shipyard was the scene of 51 road crashes between 2017 and 2021, causing 11 serious injuries and 16 minor injuries.

Further detail is yet to be determined on planned upgrades to the Pelican Point Rd level crossing, which would reduce lengthy wait times caused by frequent freight train activity.

Mr Koutsantonis said the works were necessary as the area was also home to Adelaide’s container, Viterra grain and cruise ship terminals.

“The surrounding infrastructure needs to be ready to support that growth,” he said.

The Osborne shipyard is already home to some of the most complex and important defence projects, including the construction of nine Hunter-class frigates and the sustainment of the Collins-class submarine fleet.

The Osborne shipyard is already home to some of the most complex and important defence projects.

The federal government has remained committed to building eight nuclear-powered submarines there, with the first boat expected to be completed by 2040.

To support the huge endeavour, the federal government has leased 45ha of land just north of the Osborne shipyard from Renewal SA.

It will mean the submarine section of the shipyard will more than triple in size to become one of the most sophisticated construction bases in the world.

In September, former chief of navy Vice Admiral Tim Barrett sparked calls to radically transform the Lefevre Peninsula into a bustling, hi-tech precinct to attract young workers to shipbuilding.

He called for a boost in modern housing availability, building new recreational infrastructure and increasing the number of schooling and tertiary education options – with a heavy focus on STEM – near the Osborne shipyard to help plug a looming skills crisis.