Kwinana, Fremantle, Rockingham, Cockburn mayors and CEOs heading off on AUKUS mission

Six Perth mayors and their highly paid council chief executives are jetting to the US to learn for themselves more about the impact AUKUS will have. But the delegation has avoided usual scrutiny over the 12-day, $168,000 trip because they are booked to travel as board members of the Perth South West Metropolitan Alliance — of which their councils are the sole supporting members. The September trip will focus on understanding how to best support incoming US Navy personnel and their families when submarines are stationed at Garden Island’s HMAS Stirling from 2027. They plan to meet business groups involved in developing and maintaining the Virginia Class submarines and discuss with their US counterparts issues such as homelessness and urban development. The six Perth councils involved — Rockingham, Kwinana, Fremantle, Cockburn, Melville and East Fremantle — comprise the Perth South West Metropolitan Alliance, a voluntary alignment which collaborates and advocates on matters of interest for the broader region. Expected to make the trip in September are Rockingham mayor Deb Hamblin and chief executive Michael Parker, Fremantle leaders Hannah Fitzhardinge and Glen Dougall, Cockburn’s Logan Howlett and Daniel Sims, Melville mayor Katie Mair and new chief executive Gail Bowman, Kwinana’s Peter Feasey and Wayne Jack and East Fremantle duo Jim O’Neill and Jonathon Throssell. The 12 named travellers are all considered board members of the Alliance. The expedition only came to light when questions were asked at Kwinana and Fremantle’s council meetings this month about ratepayers footing the travel bill. Officials at both meetings confirmed the bulk of the costs would be borne by the six-council alliance, with the possibility of some offset funding to come from the Australian Submarine Agency. “The Alliance was strongly encouraged by the Australian Submarine Agency to undertake the delegation; they are currently considering providing additional financial support for the delegation,” City of Fremantle director of city business Matthew Hammond said. “The Alliance has received significant support for planning, logistics for the 12-day mission from the US Consul’s office in WA. “The remaining cost will be covered by the Alliance themselves, mainly the under-spend accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic, which ensures no additional funding would be required from councils to fund the delegation.” Civic leaders in Kwinana were also questioned about the cost of their involvement during Wednesday’s council meeting, with the answers mirroring what was said in Fremantle. In a written response to a ratepayer’s question, the City of Kwinana confirmed the Australian Submarine Agency might chip in towards the delegation’s travel costs in exchange for it researching and reporting on effective community engagement strategies. “The remaining costs will be covered by the Alliance’s under-spend during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring no additional funding is required from the member councils,” the response said. Alliance director Warrick Carter said the US trip was being paid for by the alliance’s financial reserves, which he said had grown because of under-spends during the COVID pandemic. He confirmed most of its income came from contributions made by its six member councils. “At this stage, the total cost declared is $14,000 each for 12 days, which is an upper estimate to ensure participants comply with the declaration requirements of the Local Government Act,” he said. In confirming the trip, Mr Hammond acknowledged that some in the community had concerns for the local area from the AUKUS arrangement. “The Alliance, which includes the councils which will likely be affected by that AUKUS program, are undertaking their due diligence on what this means to the local community, local economies, our local environment,” he said. “We’d like to fully understand the implications of that Federal Government decision. “The delegation will focus on gaining better understanding of emergency management procedures related to the presence of submarines, as well as understanding how best to support incoming personnel and their families associated with the program.” Mr Carter said AUKUS would “undoubtedly” alter the social and economic landscape of the region. “The extent to which these changes are positive depends largely on our collective efforts to prepare,” he said. Earlier this year the Alliance submitted a warning that a “lack of mandated public disclosure may impede community acceptance of nuclear-powered vessels being maintained in the region” to a Senate inquiry examining Australia’s proposed naval nuclear framework. The Alliance said local governments were “generally supportive” of the draft safety laws but wanted “greater certainty around the reporting of nuclear safety incidents”. Housing for the incoming submariners has also been in the spotlight, with about 700 US personnel expected to need housing close to HMAS Stirling. Defence Housing Australia plans to deliver at least 330 properties over five years to accommodate them in WA’s tight housing market.