Local community impact
AUKUS sites
The Agreement does not stipulate the location of where the nuclear-powered submarines will be built or where the Virgina class submarines will be stored, maintained or operated. However, evidence provided by the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) identified Osborne Shipyard in South Australia as the construction site for the submarines, and HMAS Stirling and Henderson in Western Australia as the locations where the Virgina class submarines will be maintained.
At the Osborne Naval Shipyard, a construction site is being developed specifically for the building of the SSN-AUKUS submarines. Australian Naval Infrastructure (ANI), a Government Business Enterprise whose primary objective is to ‘support the Commonwealth’s continuous naval shipbuilding program,’ and the ASA, which was established to ‘acquire, construct, deliver, technically govern, sustain and dispose of’ AUKUS submarines, are partnering in this project.
Henderson WA was announced in 2024 as the site of a new defence precinct which will include a ‘depot-level maintenance and contingency docking’ for nuclear-powered submarines.
HMAS Stirling provides ‘operational and logistical support to Royal Australian Navy ships, submarines and aircraft based in WA.’ This site will have a rotational presence of AUKUS partner submarines from 2027, which will be known as the Submarine Rotational Force – West. The first submarines to operate out of this base will be Virginia class submarines from the United States of America (US) and an Astute class submarine from the United Kingdom (UK).
The required upgrades and ongoing increase in personnel at all three locations have an impact on local communities within the areas of the Osborne in South Australia, and HMAS Stirling and Henderson in Western Australia. These impacts will mostly result from an increase in traffic coming and going from the above-mentioned sites, increase to the population living and working in the local areas, and the associated building works required within the sites.
Infrastructure impacts
Concerns with the impact of implementing the AUKUS program would have upon local infrastructure was raised in public hearings. The Conservation Council of Western Australia referenced that the program’s development in and around Henderson and HMAS Stirling and said that it would lead to increased stress upon local roads and waters.
As part of the inquiry the Committee travelled to Osborne in South Australia and HMAS Stirling and Henderson in Western Australia. During its visit, the Committee was made aware of the current and future infrastructure concerns to the local communities as a result of the AUKUS program.
The Conservation Council of Western Australia said that the increased number of workers required by the AUKUS program would result in additional people seeking housing in an area that already has a housing crisis and would place a strain on already strained services. Stop AUKUS WA added to these concerns, stating that recent housing announcements for Australian Defence Force housing raised questions as to why housing was not being built for local community members.
When questioned about whose responsibility it was to mitigate these infrastructure impacts resulting from increased populations to the neighbouring local communities, ASA stated:
…the Australian Submarine Agency and Defence have been working very closely with both the WA State Government and Local governments to understand the impact of, as you say, the increased levels of activity and what that will mean for the local community. We have held in recent months two meetings that we call three-tier-of-government meetings—that is, federal ministers including Minister King, state level WA ministers and local councils—to unpack and understand these issues.
Following the hearing the Department of Defence (Defence) provided additional information:
Defence is working closely with the Western Australian Government and relevant local councils, to ensure Defence needs at HMAS Stirling and Henderson align with the needs of the Western Australian Government, local councils and industry, and neighbouring communities.
At Osborne, the Australian Submarine Agency and Australian Naval Infrastructure, the Government’s appointed infrastructure delivery partner, are working collaboratively with the South Australian Government to progress master-planning for the Lefevre Peninsula. This will ensure the LeFevre Peninsula is well placed to deliver on its critical national role, whilst also supporting industry, and the local community. The South Australian Government has recently appointed COX Pty Ltd to undertake master planning for the Lefevre Peninsula. This updated master plan will support a range of activities, including traffic flow, emergency services and community spaces.
Engagement with First Nations community
Although no witnesses nor submitters who engaged with the inquiry identified themselves to the Committee as First Nations or representatives of Traditional Owner groups, throughout the inquiry several witnesses did raise concerns about the lack of consultation with First Nations people.
Particular concern was raised in regard to the AUKUS program’s ongoing compliance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and the lack of consultation with First Nations people to whom Garden Island in Western Australia holds a level of significance.
While no evidence was presented to this Committee regarding engagement conducted with First Nations people or Traditional Owner groups, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works was advised by Defence that as part of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 referral process for Submarine Rotational Force—West, Priority Works, HMAS Stirling, Western Australia it had consulted with:
- Southwest Aboriginal Land and Sea Council;
- Aboriginal Advisory Council of Western Australia; and
- Gnaala Karla Booja Aboriginal Corporation.
Environmental impacts
At the public hearing in Perth, the Conservation Council of Western Australia outlined a number of environmental impacts which may be realised through the implementation of the AUKUS program:
There will be housing requirements for any personnel both on the island and onshore. There will be increasing human traffic on the island, so that will impact the environmental communities that exist there. Some of the development proposals for Cockburn Sound—for example, dredging to support submarines coming in and also upgrading the docking areas—will interfere with nesting areas for little penguins and foraging grounds. Seagrass meadows will be dredged as part of the proposal. There will be upgrades to the causeway. There will presumably be upgrades to roads servicing the area, and these will all be in areas where there are threatened ecological communities, which will be further fragmented through that area.
When asked by the Committee what environmental considerations were being made to ensure there were no or minimal environmental impacts to the local areas Defence stated:
All of Defence’s infrastructure works are required to comply with the requirements of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Defence and the Australian Submarine Agency have referred major construction at both Osborne and HMAS Stirling for consideration by the Minister for the Environment and Water, the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, under the EPBC Act.
The Conservation Council of Western Australia raised concerns that the platform for considering environmental impacts is ‘not right’ as the commitment to the Agreement and locations of the AUKUS sites had already been announced prior to any environmental assessment becoming undertaken:
They've already named the location, both of HMAS Stirling and Henderson. It feels like, if we were to input into that process, it's not as if the DCCEEW [Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water] or the EPA [Environment Protection Authority] would then be in a position to say, 'Actually, this site is an inappropriate location for this development based on environmental grounds and should not go ahead.'
In response Defence told the Committee that:
The Department of Defence is committed to working closely with the Department of the Environment, Climate Change and Water to do all the processes in line with getting the requisite approvals and consultations.
Committee comment
The AUKUS program’s impact upon local infrastructure was of concern to the Committee. To address these concerns fully, the Committee believes both ASA and the Department of Defence should consult with the local communities, publicise any planning initiatives to enable substantive engagement from locals, and provide publicly accessible planning documents to help build social license for infrastructure initiatives going forward.
The Committee recognises that the increased workforce and activity at each of the AUKUS sites will have substantial impacts on community infrastructure, the cost of which should not be shouldered by the local governments and communities alone. The Committee acknowledges these impacts and advocates for funding to be made available to Local and State governments to address these issues as they arise.
While the Committee acknowledges the consultation Defence has undertaken to date with First Nations people and Traditional Owner groups regarding the works at HMAS Stirling, the Committee believes that a greater level of ongoing consultation is required to ensure that First Nations concerns are addressed across all locations and aspects of the AUKUS program.
The Committee acknowledges the requirement for any proposed works that may significantly impact to be referred to the environment to the Minister for the Environment and Water under the EPBC Act, however, notes that some ecological impacts resulting from the AUKUS program, such as the impacts resulting from the increase to local populations may fall outside the EPBC Act and Australian Government jurisdiction.
The Committee recognises the appearance of planning approvals as “piecemeal”, however notes that the multi part process reflects the complexity of cross-jurisdictional planning approval processes in Australia.
The Committee recommends that the Government partner with relevant State and Local governments to collaborate and coordinate on planning and delivery of enabling programs, infrastructure and works to support communities involved in the implementation of AUKUS.
The Committee recommends that the Australian Submarine Agency enhance engagement and consultation with the local Traditional Owner group and First Nations peoples; and with local environmental groups.