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Joint Standing Committee on Public Works
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Facilities for Troop Lift Helicopter, RAAF Base Townsville, QLD.

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Chapter 2 The Proposed Works

Purpose
Need
Cost
Scope
Project Delivery

Purpose

2.1

The purpose of this proposal is to provide facilities to support the introduction of the MRH90 (Multi-role Helicopter 90) aircraft.1 This will include the refurbishment, re-use and construction of facilities of the Army’s 5 Avn Regt facilities.2

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Need

2.2

The 171 st Aviation Squadron has been relocated to Holsworthy Barracks and will be replaced at Townsville by a squadron equipped with the new MRH90 which “can carry troops, small vehicles or underslung cargo”.3 The MRH90 is being introduced under Defence Capability Plan Project Air 9000 (Phase 2).4

2.3

The delivery of the MRH90 aircraft will be phased in over 18 months from December 2007. Defence plans to provide facilities progressively from July 2007 until February 2008.5

Cost

2.4

The estimated project cost is $20 million excluding GST. This figure includes:

  • construction costs with fit-out;
  • professional fees;
  • furniture and fittings;
  • information technology; and
  • a contingency sum.6
2.5

In addition, there will be a slight increase in the operating costs of RAAF Base Townsville. This increase can be attributed to “the energy, maintenance and garrison support cost for the new buildings”.7

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Scope

2.6

Defence’s proposal involves:

  • construction of a new purpose built building (Training and Mission Planning);
  • refurbishment of existing buildings (aircraft shelters, repair parts store and workshops);
  • extension of two buildings (to house repair parts administration, ground support equipment workshop and storage, and Draft Priority 1 equipment storage); and
  • construction of car parking and engineering services infrastructure.8
2.7

The details of the works are as follows:

  • Aircraft Shelters – minor modifications;
  • Technical Support Squadron Workshops – refurbishment and reconfiguration;
  • Repair Parts Store – minor modifications and extensions for administration functions;
  • Draft Priority 1 Store – a new extension for Draft Priority 1 storage;
  • Ground Support Equipment – new extensions to provide a workshop and a storage facility;
  • Mission Planning Facility / Army Aviation Training Facility – new combined facility; and
  • car parking and infrastructure – new asphalt car park and services infrastructure including electrical, water and sewerage reticulation.9

Project Delivery

2.8

Defence submitted that, subject to Parliamentary approval, the project would commence in late 2006 with completion expected in early 2008.10

2.9

Further, Defence stated that the project would be delivered using a Head Contractor delivery system as it feels that this delivery system is particularly suited to works, such as the current proposal, where the scope is well defined.11


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Footnotes

1

Appendix C, Submission No. 1, paragraph 11 Back

2

ibid, paragraph 1 Back

3

ibid, paragraph 2 Back

4

ibid, paragraph 1 Back

5

Appendix C, Submission No. 1, paragraph 6 Back

6

ibid, paragraph 13 Back

7

ibid, paragraph 14 Back

8

ibid, paragraph 9 Back

9

Appendix C, Submission No. 1, paragraph 26 Back

10

ibid, paragraph 8 Back

11

ibid, paragraph 82 Back


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