Upgrade Patrol Boat Facilities, HMAS Coonawarra, Darwin , NT

Purpose

The purpose of the proposed work is to

• provide facilities at DNB for the berthing and effective operation of eight ACPBs, and
• to provide more suitable facilities for the Darwin Naval Base Port Services Organisation.¹

Need

The proposed work is necessitated by a Government decision to replace the existing FREMANTLE Class Patrol Boats with new ACPBs. The ACPBs will provide improved patrol boat availability and performance.²

A report on the ACPB project, tabled in February 2005 by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO), recommended that:

Defence ensure that complementary Defence Corporate Services and Infrastructure Group facilities projects are well programmed, prioritised, and co-ordinated, to deliver capability in a timely fashion to support the requirements of the capability being delivered by the DMO [Defence Materiel Organisation].³

As the ACPB is a larger vessel than the FREMANTLE Class Patrol Boat, it is necessary to extend existing infrastructure. In addition, ACPB capability will be enhanced by the construction of a Standby Crew facility, to minimise handover time between crews and maximise operational availability of the boats; and upgraded facilities and equipment for the Port Services Organisation, which is responsible for the management of DNB harbour.⁴

Options Considered

Siting Options

As there is no intention to relocate DNB during the service life of the ACPBs, the existing infrastructure provides the most economic solution for siting of the new facilities.⁵

Technical Options

In order to achieve the most economical design solutions, Defence considered alternative siting options for the new Standby Crew and Port Services Organisation facilities; namely:

• a single collocated facility; and
• two separate buildings.

The location of the Port Services Organisation facility is dictated by requirement for visibility over the harbour, while the Standby Crew facility must be close to the wharf.⁶

Preferred Option

The most cost effective solution was considered to be a combined facility maximising oversight of the harbour and proximity to the wharf. The benefits of this option are:

• cost savings in the provision of building infrastructure and services;
• maximisation of availability of ACPBs through rapid handover between crews.⁷

Scope

Wharf Extension Medium Work

On 19 July 2004 wrote to the Committee requesting that wharf extension works at DNB be approved as a separate ‘medium work’⁸ prior to the referral of the remainder of the Patrol Boat Facilities Upgrade Project. The works, estimated to cost $5.53 million, comprised

• extension of the southern wharf to 197.8 metres to provide three alongside berths for the ACPBs, stairs and platforms and service connections; and
• modification of service connections at the northern wharf to allow for emergency berthing of two additional ACPBs.

Prior approval of these work elements was sought to meet the immediate operational support requirements of the ACPBs, the first of which was programmed for delivery to Darwin in April 2005.⁹

On 21 July, having considered the Department’s request, the Committee granted approval for the wharf works to proceed. At the time of the Committee’s visit in July 2005, the wharf extension was under construction.

Remaining Works

The remaining works to be carried out under the Patrol Boat Facilities upgrade comprise:

• extension of synchrolift (vertical ship lift) by 12 metres to accommodate new ACPBs;
• extension of three existing land berths to provide hardstand storage for ACPBs;
• modification of existing support cradles to accommodate ACPB hull size and shape;
• construction of an additional 250 kilolitre fuel tank to increase fuel holding capacity at DNB;
• construction of a Standby Crew facility to provide working accommodation for two standby patrol boat crews; and
• provision of a new facility for the DNB Port Services Organisation.¹⁰

Project Delivery

The approved portion of the works (wharf extension) is being delivered using a head contract system, with completion anticipated for October 2005.¹¹

It is proposed that the remainder of the works will be procured under two separate contracts as follows:

• a head contract for the synchrolift and land berths infrastructure works; and
• a design and construct contract for the building works.¹²

Subject to parliamentary approval, it is intended that the works should commence in early 2006, with completion in late 2006.¹³

Cost

The estimated outturn cost of the proposed work is $19.17million.¹⁴