Ship sustainment catalyst for investment | ||||
BAE Systems Australia has signed a contract with BADGE Constructions WA to build a $5 million shipside support tower at its Henderson (Western Australia) facility to support the eight ship ANZAC frigate upgrade project.
The five level tower will be built between the existing ship dry berths. Two gangways at the upper level will provide direct access to the ships dry berthed on either side. It will also include offices, meeting rooms and amenities for employees, contractors and tradespeople working on the ships.
The upgrade of the Royal Australian Navy’s fleet of ANZAC class frigates will involve 2.4 million hours over the next five years. Currently, the teams supporting naval programs at Henderson are located on site but in separate areas.
The team members – Department of Defence, Royal Australian Navy, major partners and contractors – currently work from various office locations across the Henderson facility. Co-location will facilitate greater collaboration and engagement and ensure that any issues during the upgrade can be dealt with much quicker.
Construction will start this month and the building should be completed and in use by the end of the year. BADGE expects construction to create 300 jobs over the duration of the project.
BADGE is a privately owned construction group delivering commercial projects across Australia from offices in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Perth.
BAE Systems Chief Executive, Gabby Costigan, said: “This investment will create benefits for the AMCAP program and future naval upgrade and sustainment projects at Henderson.
“Bringing everyone working on the upgrade and sustainment of Royal Australian Navy ships together will create efficiencies and improve collaboration.
“It continues the significant investment in site infrastructure so that we can reduce the time that naval ships are on the hard stand, ensuring that they can be returned to service as quickly as possible.” |
