A new $35 million State Government contract is up for grabs as part of the $90 million upgrade of the integrated defence, marine, mining and petroleum focused Australian Marine Complex at Henderson, just south of Perth.
The contract is for the construction of a $35 million floating dock and extension of the existing eastern wharf that will allow the complex to compete for a wide range of additional marine maintenance and construction jobs from all over the world, potentially worth billions of dollars.
It would also be a substantial boost to WA’s bid for the $2 billion Amphibious Vessel project for the Australian Defence Force.
The new contract will take total funding for the AMC project, expected to be completed within two years, to $270 million so far.
Minister Assisting in Planning and Infrastructure, Fran Logan, said the facility was gaining an international reputation as Australia’s leading industrial facility for marine-related industries. The latest contract is for the first 99-metre section of the dock, which will eventually be nearly 200m long. The initial section will be capable of dealing with surface vessel docking, the launch and retrieval of large commercial vessels and docking and transfer for Collins Class submarines.
Mr Logan said that, while the government was committed to buying locally, floating dock construction was a specialised field, so expressions of interest would be sought from around the world.
The current AMC expansion also includes the $23 million submarine maintenance facility established by ASC Pty Ltd to provide maintenance and repair facilities for the Royal Australian Navy’s submarines under a 25-year contract.
The floating dock and the extension of the eastern wharf are part of the first stage of a $90 million facility upgrade – $81 million from the State Government, $5 million from the Australian Submarine Corporation and $4 million from the Royal Australian Navy.
Five contractors have been short-listed for the wharf extension and the successful proponent should be announced by the middle of the year.
The extension of the eastern wharf will result in the berthing capacity at the AMC increased from two to four world-class berths to attract commercial and RAN operations.
The AMC is managed by LandCorp through a committee that includes representatives from the Department of Industry and Resources.
