Defence $80M spending splash for Townsville base upgrades
Townsville’s three Defence bases will share in $80 million of upgrades as the government frames national security as a major election issue in the lead up to the polls.
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NORTH Queensland businesses can soon tender for millions worth of Defence contracts on the city’s military bases after a major pre-election khaki cash splash.
The federal government committed $875 million to upgrade the country’s military bases as it continues to frame national security as a major election issue in the lead up to the polls in May.
Townsville’s three Defence bases will share in $80 million spread across 20 projects to upgrade Lavarack Barracks, RAAF Base Townsville and Ross Island over the next year.
The combined mess facilities at Third Brigade on Lavarack Barracks will undergo extensive work, with a lift replacement at the Brigade’s Headquarters, work on water reticulation and major refurbishment at the 3 CSSB precinct also planned.
Ross Island will have its paint/blast facility upgraded with a dust filtration and grit recovery system while multiple buildings, workshops and aircraft shelters will be refurbished at the Garbutt RAAF Base.
Updates will also be done on bathrooms, kitchens, offices, lighting and ventilation and the power system.
Last year government documents revealed the Garbutt RAAF base and Townsville Field Training Area were aged and had inadequate infrastructure, which was not compliant with relevant standards and no longer met health and safety needs.
“The base’s ability to effectively support wider military operations, including assistance to the civil community, risks being compromised if the supporting infrastructure and capacity cannot be relied upon,” the documents said.
Labor defence spokesman Brendan O’Connor accused the government of “dressing up” old announcements and said Prime Minister Scott Morrison was using national security for political purposes.
“Base upgrades … were announced six years ago in the 2016 Defence White Paper and again in the 2020 Force Structure Plan, but they have yet to be delivered,” he said.
“The Government, in its attempt to push a national security agenda, is presenting routine works as a new announcement.
“Labor fully supports our ADF having the capabilities they require, but would act immediately to deliver Defence capabilities on time and on budget, and in the national interest.”
The Morrison Government has identified national security as a key issue ahead of the election and earlier this month announced the largest expansion of Australia’s military in peacetime, with the government to spend $38bn into 2040 growing the Defence workforce to more than 101,000 personnel.
Federal Member for Herbert Phillip Thompson said investment was intended to ensure the ADF’s local facilities were fit-for-purpose and provide work for local businesses.
“Our ADF members are critical in ensuring the safety of our nation as well as our local community, so we always need to be making sure they have the latest facilities and equipment to enable them to do their job,” Mr Thompson said.
The projects will be released via AusTender over the coming months.
Originally published as Defence $80M spending splash for Townsville base upgrades
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