Budget rebuke for Cairns

“We are still clarifying with the state government whether it has formally written to the federal government and if they haven’t, we will be asking them to do so immediately,” Mr Trompf added.

Retired Lieutenant General John Grey, former chief of the Australian Army who moved to the Far North upon retirement in 1995, said he believed the federal government was behind expanding HMAS Cairns but had not committed to the common user facility.

“My suspicion is there may be a pre-election announcement; I know (Federal MP for Leichhardt) Warren Entsch strongly supports it and I think it has bipartisan support. I’m waiting for an election promise,” Mr Grey said.

“It draws together the various shipyards that have been competing into co-operation and it is a vehicle for Cairns to become even more significant as a regional maintenance port for the navy.”

Mr Entsch has been asked for comment.