- Western Australia strengthens its position as a national leader in sovereign naval shipbuilding and sustainment as part of economic diversification strategy
- Initial funding of $30 million to deliver new common use infrastructure, supporting non-defence industry users continued operations at the Australian Marine Complex
- Investment to support around 10,000 WA jobs and contribute billions to the State's economy
- Austal Defence Australia confirmed to construct the Australian Army's new landing craft heavy at the world-class Australian Marine Common User Facility
The Cook Government has welcomed an initial $30 million worth of Commonwealth investment at the Australian Marine Complex (AMC) in Henderson.
The initial investment into common use infrastructure will provide certainty and confidence to existing industries and ensure they have ongoing access to infrastructure to enable delivery of their commitments.
Continuous shipbuilding will now start at the AMC, which will underpin around 10,000 jobs and strengthen the security and resilience of the nation.
This announcement comes as Western Australian shipbuilder Austal Defence Australia was today confirmed to commence construction of the Australian Army's landing craft under the Landing Craft Heavy (LCH) Program at the AMC valued at $4 billion.
The LCH Program forms a key part of Western Australia's continuous naval shipbuilding and sustainment pipeline, supporting the ongoing diversification of the Western Australian economy to continue to create quality jobs and business opportunities for Western Australians.
The program is a testament to the significant role Western Australia plays in safeguarding the nation and its commitment to building sovereign defence capabilities that are proudly Made in WA.
The Cook Government remains committed to its economic diversification and decarbonisation agenda, ensuring non-defence industry users can continue operations at the AMC Common User Facility during the establishment of the Henderson Defence Precinct under the 2024 Cooperation Agreement.
As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
"This announcement reflects the strong partnership between my government and the Commonwealth, with $30 million committed initially to support vital infrastructure at the Australian Marine Complex.
"My government will continue working to ensure this investment delivers lasting benefits for our workforce, our economy, and Australia's national security.
"This announcement is another example of our commitment to diversifying the WA economy so that it remains the strongest in the nation to continue to create quality jobs for Western Australians."
As stated by Defence Industries Minister Paul Papalia:
"This investment supports Australia's sovereign defence capability by ensuring key naval assets are built and sustained in Western Australia.
"The AMC is central to that effort, and this funding ensures it can continue to support shipbuilding while accommodating future growth across the precinct."
As stated by Planning and Lands Minister Carey:
"This investment marks a major step forward for Western Australia, underpinning thousands of jobs and reinforcing our State's growing leadership in sovereign shipbuilding and advanced manufacturing.
"AMC has already created more than 50,000 jobs and contributed more than $3 billion to the WA economy over its lifetime, and today's announcement will only continue to build on this."
