WA fires another shot across the bow on submarine jobs
The WA Premier thinks SA lacks the ability to build a workforce capable of future defence projects, but Steven Marshall says it’s the ‘boom or bust’ state that’s not up to the job.
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West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has delivered a blunt message to South Australia — show us your workers — as his state continues to lobby for a lucrative submarine maintenance program.
In exclusive interviews with The Advertiser, Mr McGowan and WA Defence Issues Minister Paul Papalia have questioned SA’s ability to create the necessary defence workforce. But Premier Steven Marshall has dismissed the suggestion.
Mr Marshall launched his own broadside at WA, labelling it a “boom-bust” state that will not have the experienced workforce worthy of taking over the Collins Class submarine sustainment work.
“This is a project that isn’t a bridge or a road,” Mr Marshall said.
“This is a project that is critical to the defence of our nation and that is why it is so important this work continues in Adelaide, where we have the skills, we have history, we have a proven track record and we have a hunger for defence jobs in the state.”
But Mr McGowan disagreed.
“Adelaide was successful through the efforts of Christopher Pyne to secure the frigates and new submarine builds, and that’s a massive undertaking,” he told The Advertiser in Perth this week.
“In South Australia, I don’t think there is a full grasp of what building submarines and frigates at once means … and how difficult it will be to do. It is a big risk.”
Work on building nine anti-submarine frigates, the construction of 12 Attack Class submarines and the ongoing maintenance of the Collins Class submarines is expected to require about 5500 skilled workers.
Mr Papalia said 2024 would be a critical year for SA.
“When that cycle of the Collins Class submarine confronts a massive uplift in demand for construction of submarines and frigates in South Australia, we view that as being beyond the South Australian manufacturing sector’s capability,” he said.
“The operational capability of a Collins Class submarine would be in jeopardy, which is unacceptable in the national interest.”
Mr Marshall said the greater risk for the Collins Class maintenance work — which is under review, with a decision expected by the end of the year — would be to shift it to WA.
“We will not be relying on West Australian statistics to determine whether or not we have the capacity to deliver on this naval shipbuilding work coming our way,” Mr Marshall said.
“Quite frankly, West Australia is a typical boom-bust economy with mining.
“The reality is that when they go through another boom cycle, there will be a real lack of skills available for the critical defence capability that we need.
“By contrast, we have a very stable workforce in South Australia.
“Yes, we do need to increase it — and that is exactly what the Government is doing.”
Mr Papalia said WA had plenty of workers capable of maintaining the submarines.
“Right now our manufacturing sector is more than twice the size of South Australia’s,” he said.
“We have a lot of underemployment in skilled labour that was built up during the time of the last mining boom.
“We’re not going to ever encounter — in any of our lifetimes — that sort of a demand again.”
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