Naval boost for city
Facilities for new ships to bring $680m into Cairns
A MASSIVE naval upgrade will pump $680 million into Cairns over the next seven years.
Federal Minister for Defence Marise Payne announced the big spend yesterday at HMAS Cairns.
Facility and wharf infrastructure will account for $380 million and a further $300 million on base development.
“Local Cairns businesses will be in the box seat to do most of this work, creating economic growth and jobs in the local region,” Senator Payne said.
The upgrade was planned in anticipation of the arrival of four new Offshore Patrol Ves- sels, which should be finished in the mid 2020s. “Basing four OPVs in Cairns will ... provide significant opportunities for industry,” Ms Payne said.
Twelve of the 80m, 1200 tonne OPVs will be built in Western Australia by German contractor Lürssen. Construction is due to begin at the end of the year.
“By the time we get to the mid 2020s, when those vessels are able to come here, you will have a significant facility,” Ms Payne said.
The minister said that it was too early to speculate on suitable Cairns-based dry dock facilities for the new boats.
“It is not a concern because the vessels come online in the mid 2020s,” Ms Payne said.
“I wouldn’t expect that today we would be able to address those sorts of issues.”
Federal Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch has been pushing for a common-user facility, including a syncrolift, in Cairns that could service the OPVs.
“The door is wide open for businesses to participate,” Mr Entsch said.
Prior to the announcement Ms Payne met Cairns slipway operators Norship, BSE Maritime Solutions and Tropical Reef Shipyard in a roundtable session organised by Advance Cairns.
“She made it well known that Defence looks for a cohesive and cooperative approach,” Advance Cairns chief executive Nick Trompf said. “We have to aim high.” A successful maintenance facility in Cairns would feasibly service more than the fourCairns based OPVs.
“If we get it right here, there’s not just the opportunity for the boats that are based here, there are others,” Mr Trompf said. “The jewel in the crown would be if we could get the sustainment for the six OPVs going into Darwin.
“There is the budget, there is the time, and there is the impetus locally to create the facilities that are needed so when those boats steam around from WA, they stay here.”