Department of Defence (Australia) ,
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence Fran Bailey said last night that South Australia would benefit from approved Defence facilities projects totalling approximately $3.5 million in the 2004-05 Budget.
Subject to Defence planning processes, an extra $3 million per annum will be spent over the next four years on Defence estate upkeep works.
Some 4,600 members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Department of Defence personnel are based in South Australia.
“At RAAF Edinburgh $1.5 million has been provided for a new ground support equipment hangar. This amount brings the total figure spent on the base to over $41 million in just two years. The soon to be completed project has provided enhanced administrative, workshop and warehousing facilities and an upgrade of engineering services and aircraft shelters,” Fran Bailey said.
“Work associated with this project also includes a purpose built environment comprising computer, laboratory and office space for the development and application of the “Virtual ship.”
Capital Facilities Projects for South Australia include:
RAAF Edinburgh – Redevelopment Stage 1
This project will provide enhanced administrative, workshop and warehousing facilities, an upgrade of engineering services and an aircraft shelter. Construction is substantially complete, with the key remaining deliverable, a new ground support equipment hangar, due for completion by August 2004.
Edinburgh – Relocation of Defence Materiel Organisation Over the Horizon Radar Systems Program Office.
The purpose of this project is to provide working accommodation for the use of Over the Horizon Radar Systems Program Office personnel at DSTO Salisbury.
Edinburgh – DSTO Surveillance Analysis Centre
The purpose of this project is to provide an Information Facility for the purposes of conducting Research & Development into the use of surveillance applications.
Edinburgh – Aircraft Signature Turntable
The purpose of this project is to construct a new turntable facility at RAAF Edinburgh to measure the Radar Cross Sections (RCS) of airborne platforms.
Estate Upkeep
The Government will provide an additional $300m over three years from 2005-06 to meet increasing costs of maintaining the Defence estate. Defence has also redirected an additional $100m from within its existing budget to estate upkeep in 2004-05. The additional funding will bring planned expenditure on Defence estate upkeep to approximately $330m per annum for the next four years.
The additional funding will enable Defence to meet the increasing cost of maintaining its extensive base infrastructure, including airfields, naval bases, barracks, training ranges and fuel farms. Funds will also be used to meet community, environmental and occupational health and safety regulatory requirements.
The program of estate upkeep works is developed each year. The further funding is expected to result in the following additional expenditure on estate upkeep in South Australia over the next four years. These amounts may change as planning processes proceed.
