UK contractor Laing O’Rourke will build a wharf for the Australian navy and upgrade an army base as part of two contracts together worth A$495m (US$365.5m).
Australia’s defence minister Marise Payne announced the investment in two projects for new facilities at the Larrakeyah Defence Precinct, Northern Territory, on 29 June.
The first project, an A$223m base redevelopment, will address the upgrade of in-ground infrastructure, support base growth over the next 25 years, and improve the working environment for personnel.
A second, concurrent A$272m project will deliver a new outer wharf for the Royal Australian Navy’s major surface combatant ships and submarines.
"The project will enhance the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) capacity to conduct operations and exercises in the north of Australia, while providing fuel storage and refuelling capabilities to meet current and projected demands," Payne said.
Both Larrakeyah Defence Precinct projects will be delivered by Laing O’Rourke as Managing Contractor, with construction works scheduled to commence in late 2018 and due for completion by mid-2023.
Image: The Royal Australian Navy’s Submarine Parachute Assistance Group in training, 2007 (Luis Holden/Wikimedia Commons)
