AUKUS Submarines

Mr PATTERSON (Morphett) (15:20): In September 2021, the former federal Liberal government announced the establishment of AUKUS, which is a landmark trilateral security partnership signed between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States as a result of the rising security challenges in the Indo-Pacific. The first initiative was to support Australia acquiring nuclear-powered submarines to be built in South Australia and also to outline the optimal path to achieving this.

The shift from conventional to nuclear-powered submarines is a key decision in both the nation's and also this state's history. At the time, I was the Minister for Trade and Investment, and the enormity of that decision and the ability for it to upskill not only the industrial capability but also the workforce here in South Australia was immense. As a result, the former Liberal government supported the move and actively began work in getting the state ready for this enormous challenge, including establishing the South Australian Submarine Taskforce.

Last week, the Prime Minister announced the optimal pathway to Australia acquiring nuclear-powered submarines. AUKUS will deliver a conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarine capability in the 2030s by purchasing between three and five US Virginia class submarines. Importantly, Australia will also build nuclear-powered AUKUS submarines that will be based on the UK's next-generation design and will incorporate technology from all three nations, and that build will occur at Osborne in South Australia.

The South Australian Liberal Party supports the announcement that the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines will be built at Osborne in South Australia. The program will extend over many decades, and a key element of the program's success will be bipartisan support at both the federal and state levels. Even the 18 months between the initial AUKUS announcement and last week's announcement show that governments change but, through that, the security of the nation and the sustainability of the defence industries that support that are essential and require bipartisanship, which is the case here in South Australia.

Adelaide is the home of shipbuilding in Australia. Even before this announcement, Osborne is currently the location for the construction of the Future Frigates as well as the maintenance of the Collins class submarines. Significant infrastructure work was a focus of the former Liberal government at Osborne and has already taken place as part of the previous submarine program. That work was going to transform Osborne into the most advanced dual submarine and surface shipbuilding yard in the world.

The scale of the Osborne shipyards will now have to triple in size to cater for the construction of the new AUKUS submarines. Not only is this important for Australia and South Australia but it is also important for both the UK and the United States. Currently, the US has two submarine shipyards and the UK has one at Barrow-in-Furness—the location where the AUKUS submarine design will first be built—that are already at capacity. Building the submarines in South Australia will strengthen the combined industrial capacity of all three countries, with increased cooperation making trilateral supply chains much more resilient whilst at the same time providing great opportunities for South Australian defence companies.

Without submarines being built at Osborne and also enlarging that total allied capacity, it is hard to see how the US would have been able to provide Virginia class submarines, so it should give confidence to the AUKUS submarines being built right here in South Australia. AUKUS also maintains the Collins submarines with the full cycle docking and life-of-type extensions to occur at Osborne, which was delivered by the former federal Liberal government after massive effort from the former state Liberal government. We must ensure that the life-of-type extension work on the Collins boats is done successfully while the AUKUS submarines are built, as they will remain crucial to our military capability over the next decade and beyond as well as our industrial capability.

AUKUS was commenced under the former federal and state Liberal governments and is now being continued by the current Labor governments. It will strengthen our nation's military capacity and also our defence industry capability right here in South Australia. The state Liberal Party supports the AUKUS partnership and the construction of nuclear-powered submarines in Adelaide.