Decision on Collins Class sub maintenance could be after Christmas
All “real and legitimate issues” will be considered in where the submarine maintenance work will go, the Prime Minister says – but those employed in Adelaide still don’t have an answer.
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Hundreds of submarine workers are set to face Christmas not knowing what will become of their jobs after Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it was not a decision to be made “rashly”.
If the Federal Government decides to move the deep maintenance on the Collins Class submarines to Perth – to free up space and workforce numbers for the new submarine and warship projects – up to 700 South Australians could be affected.
ASC has been reviewing four options; keeping the work in South Australia, or moving the work to Western Australia in 2022, 2024 or 2026.
However The Advertiser recently revealed other possibilities, such as a split of the work between the states so white collar workers stay in Adelaide and blue collar workers go west.
That could mean a 60/40 split between SA and WA.
Mr Morrison said yesterday in Adelaide a decision would be made “when the process has been completed” and that he couldn’t guarantee that would be before Christmas.
“These are very important decisions and they will be made in accordance with proper process and consideration of all the real and legitimate issues,” he said.
He also refused to confirm if SA would keep those jobs.
“This is not a decision that we’re going to make in the back seat of a car over some opportunistic politics,” he said.
“That’s not what’s going to happen. It’s going to be made in the best interests of Australia’s national security.”
He said NSC would make a decision based on the “rather rigorous process” being done by agencies including ASC.