Deputy Prime Minister and UK Defence Secretary sign ‘Geelong Treaty’

Defence Minister Richard Marles and UK Secretary Defence John Healey visited the Geelong Art Gallery to sign a 50-year treaty outlining the terms of development of nuclear-powered submarines.

Deputy PM Richard Marles and UK Defence Secretary John Healey sign the Geelong Treaty. Picture: NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and UK Secretary of State for Defence John Healey on Saturday visited the Geelong Art Gallery to sign a 50-year treaty which sets out the terms of co-operation to develop nuclear-powered submarines.

The “Geelong Treaty” was announced on Friday following the annual AUKMIN talks in Sydney, though on Saturday at the Geelong Art Gallery, the pact was made official.

Following a short tour of the gallery, Mr Marles and Mr Healey sat down to ratify the “historic” agreement which is designed to “enable comprehensive co-operation on the design, build, operation, sustainment, and disposal of our SSN‑AUKUS submarines”.

“This treaty is as significant as a treaty that has been signed between Australia and the United Kingdom since Federation,” Mr Marles said.

“It underpins the joint development – by the United Kingdom and by Australia – of the same class of submarine, which both countries will operate from the early 2040s.”

Mr Marles said Australia’s SSN‑AUKUS program will see the development of 20,000 jobs, making it “the most significant industrial endeavour that our country has ever undertaken”.

“What it will deliver is the biggest leap in Australia’s military capability … since the formation of the navy back in 1913,” Mr Marles said.

The Geelong treaty – a bilateral agreement – falls under the AUKUS framework, which is a trilateral treaty between Australia, the UK and America.

When asked if the treaty was made necessary by wavering support in the US for AUKUS, Mr Marles said “I think the way to look at this is another step forward down the AUKUS path”.

“There is a trilateral agreement which exists … now sitting under that are going to be a number of bilateral arrangements in order to see AUKUS come to fruition,” he said.

“It is the three of us working together, but there’ll be moments where we are working closely with the United States, we’ll be working closely with the United Kingdom, and where the United States and United Kingdom are working closely with each other.”

Mr Healey said while signing the treaty that it was an “historic day”.

“This is a treaty that will define the relationship between our two nations and safeguard the securities of our country for our children, and for our children’s children,” he said.

The meeting was held in Geelong – the Deputy Prime Minister’s electorate – after Mr Marles visited Mr Healey’s electorate in Sheffield last year.

Once official proceedings concluded, Mr Marles and Mr Healey visited Little Creatures Brewery in Geelong, where they were taken on a tour of the facility before talking over a beer.

Last year, following a visit to Sheffield Forgemasters, the pair went to the Rockingham Arms in Wentworth, where they each had a pint of ale.

“He was very keen to return the favour and come visit me here in Geelong,” Mr Marles said.

Originally published as Deputy Prime Minister and UK Defence Secretary sign ‘Geelong Treaty’