Shoalwater Bay Training Area remediation and upgrade projects explained

The project includes the construction of a mock village with full-scale buildings, apartments, educational facilities and hospitals. See all of the details here:

Vanessa Jarrett

3 min read

October 2, 2021 - 12:00AM

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It is one of the region’s most touted projects – but what is actually happening at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area?

To put it simply, the works at the military precinct are split into two projects - the $135 million remediation project which is managed by a joint venture of Downer and FKG, and the $2 billion upgrades project managed by Laing O’Rourke.

The Shoalwater Bay region first served as a military training area for troops deployed to serve in the Vietnam War in mid-1965 and has been used by military personnel ever since.

The Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) is located 80km north of Rockhampton and covers more than 274,000 hectares of land and 180,000 hectares of sea.

Attendees at the Shoalwater Bay Training project update this week.

SWBTA is the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) primary training area for international and domestic defence training and large-scale, joint-force military exercises.

The area can be accessed by air, sea and land, and is ADF’s only location in Australia that has significant amphibious operations.

The site was in need of significant upgrades and new works due to current and expected future use of the area.

Overall, the two current projects have been designed to increase ADF’s training capabilities, enhance the longevity of existing infrastructure for air, sea and land manoeuvres and meet environmental sustainability needs.

Shoalwater Bay Training Area Remediation Project.

Downer FKG was awarded the $135 million managing contract for the project in March 2020, following design and planning works in 2018 and 2019.

Two work camps have been constructed to support the project which is expected to have a duration of two years.

Project scopes:

Construction of the Urban Operations Training Facility by Downer FKG at Shoalwater Bay Training Area.

Urban Operations Training Facility (UOTF) upgrade

Initial works were for the demolition of the existing facility, made of repurposed shipping containers, as it was in poor condition, corroding and at end of its serviceable life.

Design renders of the mock village troops will use to train in a realistic setting at Shoalwater Bay.

Layout of the Urban Operations Training Facility.

Construction of a new 1000-troop UOTF

This is a mock village which includes full-scale buildings, apartments, educational facilities and hospitals.

It allows troops to train in a realistic setting with a variety of training scenarios.

The new upgraded facility has a design life of 50 years with a combination of concrete panels, colorbond roof sheeting and industrial style sheds.

Plans for the Williamson Camp at Shoalwater Bay Training Area.

Williamson Camp development

There are no permanent camp facilities to support personnel at the Williamson Airfield.

The new camp is to provide austere accommodation for up to 1000 personnel.

Williamson Airfield upgrade

These are upgrades to support increased heavy-lift aircraft operations, including refurbishment and strengthening of the runway, taxiways and aprons, and wider turning areas and basic facilities for ground operations.

The apron area will be increased to allow three C-17 Globemasters to unload/load simultaneously.

Field Hospital site upgrade

This is a refurbishment of the existing site for the set-up of a deployable field hospital adjacent to an aero-medical evacuation landing zone, to facilitate emergency casualty treatment at the hospital.

Dingo Drive remediation

This involves the refurbishment, realignment, remediation and upgrades of the existing Dingo Drive road.

Included is 10 kilometres of road widening and establishing passing bays on unsealed roads to support two-way movement of military vehicles including amphibious craft, transport vehicles and future armoured fighting vehicles.

Freshwater Beach landing site remediation

This involves remediation and upgrades of a landing site to support amphibious operations training.

Also included is hardening and upgrading the existing exit from the beach site, increasing the vehicle hard-stand area and repair vehicle access ramps from the beach.

Creek crossings remediation

This will see remediation, strengthening and widening of up to 60 nominated creek crossings to support transport vehicles and future armoured fighting vehicles.

Laing O'Rourke works at Shoalwater Bay Training Area.

Australia-Singapore Military Training Initiative facilities project

Laing O’Rourke was awarded the project contract in September 2018.

The project aims to build ADF capability and strengthen the bilateral relationship with Singapore.

Spread across three primary development areas, the project is centred on the existing range at Shoalwater Bay and two precincts in the newly acquired land north and south of the Marlborough township.

The ASMTI project is split in three precinct of the main area and the newly acquired land.

Works began in 2020 and are expected to be completed by 2024.

By 2027 up to 14,000 Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel will do training in Central and North Queensland for up to 18 weeks in two nine-week periods each week.

A presentation at a project update this week stated 165 work packages totalling $530m have been awarded and there are 55 packages left, totalling $105m.

Project scope:

Construction of new facilities and upgrades of existing ones to support training activities of the ADF and SAF.

Development of newly acquired land – perimeter fire breaks, fencing and access roads

Urban Operation Live Fire (UOLF) facilities.