Albanese Government insists community is ‘supportive of the opportunities’ to come with nuclear-powered subs

The Albanese Government insists public access to Garden Island will not change under AUKUS and claims the local community is “supportive of the opportunities” that will come with the impending arrival of nuclear-powered submarines. On Wednesday the Prime Minister was joined by the Premier, Defence Minister, Defence Industry Minister as well as local member and Resources Minister Madeline King for a tour of a visiting US submarine that is currently receiving maintenance at HMAS Stirling. Speaking after inspecting the USS Vermont, which has been docked at Garden Island since October, Anthony Albanese insisted AUKUS was “happening at pace”, and the trilateral partnership was lifting the “capability of all nations involved”. “Together with our friends from the US, and the UK, we are building the future of AUKUS. As a result of this investment in our capability, what we will … have (is) massive spin-off in advanced manufacturing in this country,” he said. The Prime Minister was then asked about the impact on the local Rockingham community from the expected influx of US sailors and their families who will soon arrive for “Submarine Rotational Force-West” which is scheduled to begin from 2027. “This will be an enormous benefit for Rockingham,” the Prime Minister said while donning an Australian Submarine Agency baseball cap, alongside his state and federal colleagues. “This is about jobs and economic activity here in the local region … if you’re a small business here, if you’re a local supplier, you’re going to get massive benefit from this $8 billion investment in your neighbourhood.” The Member for Brand and Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King, who lives locally, also moved to reassure her constituents that any potential housing and traffic concerns were being considered by the Government. “In regards to housing in Rockingham, that’s fair that people have a concern, but I would address that concern by pointing out that Australian Defence Housing and Housing Australia are combining to work on over 600 houses in the nearby region,” she said. “Of course people that live around here and work around the base do travel from a lot of surrounding suburbs like Baldivis, Secret Harbour, Port Kennedy and so forth, so that defence housing will spread out through that region. Defence Minister Richard Marles was also pressed on concerns that fishing and boating spots could soon be placed off limits after new regulations were passed declaring the entire area around HMAS Stirling naval base as a “nuclear power safety zone”. “People who have been engaged in boating and fishing around Garden Island in the past will be able to do it in the future. It’s a simple as that,” the defence minister insisted. “We are looking at the way in which security plays a part here and that is part of how we will be managing this base going forward. And you know, we’ve been really upfront about that.” “There are lots of challenges in relation to security, but we are working very closely with the local community, and we’re doing so in a way which is bringing them along, and they’re supportive of the opportunities that come with what’s happening at this base”. Last month US President Donald Trump gave a strong endorsement of the AUKUS submarine deal with Australia following a meeting with Anthony Albanese in the White House where he described the Prime Minister as a “great” leader. During the meeting the US Navy Secretary John Phelan hinted at “improvements” to the AUKUS partnership, while a Pentagon review into whether the deal aligns with the Trump administration’s “America First” agenda is yet to be completed.