The Department of Defence has sought to assure the WA public of its environmental credentials, as consultation opens on major work expected to disrupt wildlife near Rockingham.
The Department of Defence has sought to assure the WA public of its environmental credentials, as consultation opens on major work expected to disrupt wildlife near Rockingham.
Public consultation opened this week on major upgrades required to bring HMAS Stirling, the Naval base at Garden Island, to standard ahead of the arrival of nuclear submarines from 2027.
The base will support US Virginia class submarines under the AUKUS arrangement, but its Diamantina Piar and Armament Wharf will each require significant upgrades to do so.
The works planned will increase small craft berthing capacity, and the construction of a specialist, purpose-built low-level radioactive waste storage facility.
It will be the first major facility work at HMAS Stirling since the 1990s.
Defence hopes to begin construction in March, for completion by December 2026, and plans to work from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday in the construction window to get the job done.
But it will have to get its plan past regulators first, and consultation has opened on what is likely to be a contentious program of work for some sections of the surrounding community.
Among the core concerns flagged in its submission to the Department of Climate Change, Energy and the Environment and Water are wildlife impacts.
In its plan, Defence has set out to avoid a little penguin colony at HMAS Stirling, seagrass adjacent to the Diamantina Pier and Armament Wharf, and a rainbow bee-eater nest.
An 81-page report into the management of little penguins on Garden Island was submitted to regulators, highlighting potential colony impacts from noise and vibrations.
Defence acting first assistant secretary, security and estate group Felix Bowman-Derrick said the organisation was serious about environmental protection.
“Defence takes its environmental obligations very seriously,” he said.
“Defence has put in place a range of avoidance and mitigation measures to minimise any potential impacts of the works.
“The controlled action assessment will review these mitigation measures to ensure they meet requirements of the EPBC Act.”
Garden Island is around 6km north of Penguin Island, where penguin population numbers have fallen by 94 per cent since 2007 – according a census by researchers from The University of Western Australia published by the City of Rockingham last year.
The call to protect the area’s remaining penguin population – including a push to ban tourism at Penguin Island – is counterbalanced against the heightened need for a defence presence in WA.
Defence’s submission said the need for nuclear submarines had come about “as Australia’s strategic environment has deteriorated more rapidly” than expected, with the Indo Pacific “now at the centre of strategic competition”.
Local contractors Duratec and Ertech are working with the department on infrastructure planning for the facility.
Defence is simultaneously working with the City of Rockingham and the state government on transport studies to identify pressure points in an already congested area where population is expected to grow considerably in support of increased defence work.
A project by Defence Housing Australia to build 550 new houses for defence personnel in the area over five years is also underway.
Defence has partnered with Parcel Property, Forma Homes and Plunkett Homes to deliver the houses.
Public submissions on the HMAS Stirling upgrades are open until February 14.
The federal government plans to spend $8 billion to expand HMAS Stirling over the coming decade.
