The federal government has committed around $4.3 billion for a new dry dock facility in Perth.

The project is expected to support 500 jobs during the peak of construction and 2000 when it’s built. It would be the country’s second dry dock which would be used to build and maintain large ships.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the project would turn the Henderson maritime precinct into a “world-class building powerhouse”. He also stated that this is a vote of confidence towards Western Australia’s shipbuilding capabilities, training, jobs, and economy.

Pledged to work with the Western Australian government, the Commonwealth aims to develop a comprehensive master plan for the project.

With the government-owned Australian Naval Infrastructure overseeing the design and construction of the project, the project is expected to start in 2023 and is expected to be initially operational by 2028.

The dry dock is one of three pre-budget announcements made on Tuesday after Environment Minister Sussan Ley unveiled a $128 million package to streamline environmental procedures and cut green tape and Industry Minister Angus Taylor set aside $55 million to shore up the supply of Australian steel.

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Date of Publication: 15 March, 2022