South Australian developer Commercial & General has announced a partnership with Babcock Australasia and commenced construction of a new $31 million integrated, manufacturing, warehouse and office facility in Adelaide.
The Torrens Road site in Adelaide’s western suburbs will include a 4000 sqm. purpose-built manufacturing and maintenance building for Babcock’s delivery of support to land and naval defence programs, including in-service sustainment for the Collins-class submarine fleet.
The project will also include development of a separate 2000 sqm. administrative support building while the remainder of the one hectare site is being kept in readiness for potential expansion to cater for future AUKUS support.
“This new facility will be a critical enabler of our ability to not only service existing land and naval programs but to meet the once-in-a-generation opportunities that will be created in South Australia by the AUKUS trilateral partnership," said Andrew Cridland, CEO of Babcock Australasia.
“It will be home to current and future generations of highly talented skilled individuals and teams, who will get to work on some of our country’s largest and most important defence projects right here in Adelaide.”
Around 200 construction jobs will be supported through the build process, which will be undertaken by Tandem Building Group and is due to complete in Q3 2024.
In line with Babcock’s Plan Zero 40 roadmap, the facility has been designed to be operationally net zero from the outset through rainwater harvesting, large scale roof top solar, electric plant and equipment and the use of electric fleet vehicles.