Construction has commenced on the new vessel transfer path at the Australian Marine Complex (AMC), which will generate jobs and bolster Western Australia’s case to secure high value defence industry projects.
Located at Henderson, 23 kilometres south of Perth, the AMC is a world-class centre of excellence for manufacturing, fabrication, assembly, service and repair for the marine, defence and resource industries.
The transfer path is the first of four major infrastructure projects at AMC, which together are worth $87.6 million and expected to create almost 600 local jobs.
The other three projects being delivered to the AMC include a new shipbuilding facility, a major wharf extension and road intersection upgrades.
Building and civil construction company, Georgiou, was awarded a contract in January to deliver the transfer path, which will create greater connectivity across the AMC, between the floating dock and shipbuilding and sustainment facilities.
The project is expected to be complete in July 2021, ready to support the launching of the Royal Australian Navy’s new Arafura Class offshore patrol vessels from September 2022.
Premier of Western Australia, Mark McGowan, said that this is a significant milestone – with the first of four important job-creating infrastructure projects now underway at the AMC.
“These projects will initially create almost 600 construction jobs. When complete they will help underpin Western Australia’s case to secure more local defence work, with the potential to create many thousands more ongoing local jobs.”
“My Government has made a compelling case to secure [the full cycle docking submarine maintenance program] and we continue to ask the Federal Government to make the right decision in the national interest and send the project to Western Australia,” he said.
Cockburn MLA-elect, David Scaife, said that the AMC and the companies located there are key employers for the local area and surrounds.
“These new infrastructure projects will support additional employment while strengthening the facility’s broader capacity to take on future work – ensuring the McGowan Government continues to create a pipeline of work for local workers and small businesses.”