ASC reports raises safety concerns about West Australia’s pitch for South Australian submarine jobs

The company in charge of maintaining the Collins Class submarines has warned of the challenges of moving the work to WA – supporting the case to keep them at Osborne.

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Shifting submarine maintenance to Western Australia could result in the loss of skills, knowledge and capability that ensures Collins Class submarines are safe and can effectively defend the country, a report by the company in charge of the work says.

The interim report by ASC, which is in charge of maintaining the Collins Class Submarines in SA and WA, has raised a raft of concerns about shifting the jobs west.

The report, obtained by South Australian Centre Alliance Senator Rex Patrick through Freedom of Information, has surfaced as a political stoush between WA and SA continues.

The ongoing work to maintain the Collins Class Submarines has been fought over by South Australian and Western Australian shipbuilders.

Last week, in an exclusive interview with The Advertiser, WA Premier Mark McGowan and Defence Issues Minister Paul Papalia warned SA would not be able to provide enough workers for its future defence building needs, as well as the sustainment contract.

But the ASC report raises concerns about WA’s skill base and appears to support SA Premier Steven Marshall’s view the contract should remain in Adelaide.

“The greatest risk to the enterprise in considering the potential transition of FCDs (Full Cycle Dockings) to WA is the loss of skill, knowledge and capability that ensures the CCSMs (Collins Class Submarine) are safe and capable of performing the operational requirements,” the report says.

“The ability of the enterprise to retain this capability throughout the start-up of the Future Frigate Program and Future Submarine Program should not be underestimated.

“Both options require the development of new facilities in WA and to recruit and train a new workforce.”

The ASC report raises a raft of concerns about moving the jobs west, away from the shipyard at Osborne (pictured). Picture: Defence SA

Senator Patrick said the report replicated his concerns of moving the work west.

“This report is coming from the organisation that is responsible for submarine sustainment and that has a presence in both states,” he said.

This report is apolitical and its findings are clear, he said: “In the end why do you take something that works and at huge cost to the taxpayer shift it to another location.”

In the report, ASC considered the implication of full cycle docking of the Collins Class submarines moving to WA under two scenarios - in 2022 or 2024. The company found challenges under both scenarios.

If work was shifted to WA in 2022, ASC found “it is unlikely there will be alternative work for the SA ASC workforce to transfer to resulting in redundancies for close to half of the workforce”.

The report also said “there is insufficient time to develop the training material and to capture the required knowledge” meaning it could cost more to fund alternative training and secure additional support from SA.

ASC mechanical fitters Matthew Primiero and Paul Sandford at ASC in Osborne.

Mechanical fitter Paul Sandford, 41, has worked at ASC for 12 years and believed WA wouldn’t have the skills required to do the maintenance work.

“You work your way up from the bottom (in your trade) to this high level ... that’s unseen anywhere else. It’s such a high quality of work (here),” Mr Sandford said.

“They (WA) don’t have the skills we do to do the work.”