A Western Australia perspective
Western Australia is home to a strategic Defence Force presence, which receives significant funding from the Commonwealth government. Defence contributes an estimated $3 billion to the Western Australian economy.
Maritime projects dominate the defence landscape in WA, a situation that is expected to continue following major naval capability acquisition in the wake of the 2016 Defence White Paper and more recently, following the AUKUS agreement.
The WA Government has identified its aim to become the principal location for the maintenance and sustainment of submarines and frigates as its most significant defence industry goal. In addition to this, growing emphasis on the concept of the Indo-Pacific over the last decade places WA, and therefore the City, in a strong position to become a leader in Australia’s defence industry.
Cockburn’s role in the future of defence
The City of Cockburn and the Australian Defence Force has a long and rich history, more recently driven by the Australian Marine Complex (AMC), a world-class defence and industrial hub located in Henderson.
The City of Cockburn plays a vital role in Australia's defence and maritime sectors, encompassing key areas such as the Australian Marine Complex (AMC) in Henderson and the new Cockburn Blue Innovation Hub.
The City is home to a $15 billion cluster of marine infrastructure and several major businesses in the sector, including Austal, BAE Systems, Civmec, and Luerssen Australia.
Henderson is also a critical sustainment hub for the Royal Australian Navy’s presence on Garden Island. All out-of-water repair and upgrade activities for the fleet in WA are undertaken at the AMC.
The AMC has also been instrumental in some of the country’s largest mining, oil and gas projects and is one of only two locations suitable for naval shipbuilding in Australia.
Future initiatives and the importance of local government
As a leading force in Western Australia's defence and marine sectors, Cockburn aims to support the Federal and State Governments to meet the demands for jobs, skills, supply chains, and innovation in the next 10-20 years.
Local government plays a critical and very practical role in facilitating economic activity with its detailed local knowledge and relationships with businesses and industry.
Proactive local governments can add significant value to economic opportunities presented by federal and state governments.
A prime example of this is the imminent opening of the Cockburn Blue Innovation Hub in Henderson, spearheaded by the City of Cockburn. This hub will be an advanced research and innovation facility to develop and test new maritime practices and technology and build local supply chain capability and capacity. The hub will help ensure that the opportunities provided by the Federal Government in shipbuilding and defence are maximised and that jobs are leveraged from the $6 billion AUKUS submarine pathway.
Recognising the need for skilled workers
It is critical for clear skills pathways for the next generation of workers and strategies to attract talent, especially in maritime defence and shipbuilding. South Metropolitan TAFE in Cockburn is the only Australian institution registered to train in accordance with defence manufacturing standards.
The TAFE is located adjacent to the Australian Marine Complex (AMC) and is a world-leading facility. Expansion of South Metropolitan TAFE will provide additional training, upskilling and industry career opportunities, to fill the future skills gap.
Defence Strategic Review and Cockburn
The Federal Government released details of its Strategic Defence Review 2023 on 24 April 2023.
The City of Cockburn has expressed frustration at the Federal Government's failure to clarify details or include a mooted large-vessel dry berth for Henderson in its release of the Defence Strategic Review.
The review makes a strong case for the dry berth infrastructure calling it a ‘critical enabler’ for naval shipbuilding. Perplexingly, there is no acknowledgement or agreement to this recommendation in the Government’s release.
The Henderson shipbuilding precinct is home to Australia's largest marine industry and Cockburn is poised to become a major national and global centre for blue economy industries, especially shipbuilding and maritime defence, following the AUKUS submarine pathway announcement in March.