The Commonwealth has unveiled the design and turned the first sod for the new $535 million surface shipbuilding yard in Osborne, SA, that will be the site for the build of the nine Future Frigates under Project Sea 5000.
Its purchase of the initial tranche of state-owned land and facilities has also been finalised with State planning consent for construction of the new shipbuilding infrastructure also received.
The infrastructure expansion and upgrades are a fundamental enabler of the construction of the Future Frigates. The Government has also announced the appointment of the Chair and board members of the newly formed Australian Naval Infrastructure Pty Ltd (ANI):
- Lucio Di Bartolomeo has been appointed as Chair of ANI and brings extensive experience in infrastructure, engineering and defence with strong skills in project and contract delivery;
- Peter Iancov and Jeremy Schultz, former members of the ASC Pty Ltd Board, have been appointed as directors and bring considerable experience in heavy industrial and engineering projects, and corporate law;
- Janice van Reyk, a qualified Certified Practicing Accountant, has been appointed as a director and is experienced in infrastructure delivery, utilities, and capital intensive and regulated industries; and
- Jim Whalley, appointed as a Director, is a co-founder of Nova, a firm specialising in the provision of engineering and management services and a former air force pilot.
ANI is now undertaking a commercial process to select the shipyard builder, with a decision to be announced in the coming months. Steel cut for the first of the Future Frigates is scheduled to occur in 2020, which demands a tight schedule for construction of the facility.