STATEMENTS BY SENATORS

Senator WHITEAKER (Western Australia) (13:38): I rise to mark a defining moment for Western Australia and our national security. On 24 August the Albanese and Cook Labor governments announced the selection of the site for the new Henderson Defence Precinct. This is where we will build the ships and sustain the subs that will protect our country for generations.

This site works because Henderson already has the people, the skills and the yards that can do this work. Generations of shipbuilders have worked at Henderson. Across the water is HMAS Stirling, the centre of our future submarine force under AUKUS.

The conventionally armed nuclear powered subs will be built at Osborne in South Australia, will operate out of Stirling, and, when they need to come out of the water for major work, will do so at Henderson. From those same yards, we'll also build the Navy's future general purpose frigates and the Army's landing craft. The Henderson Defence Precinct provides the infrastructure that we need so that we can own, run and look after our own defence assets.

This is all part of a $12 billion commitment announced last year and is part of a much larger investment in the defence industry not just in my home state of Western Australia but right across the country. But in my home state this work at Henderson will create 10,000 good local jobs for Western Australians. This honour really belongs to Western Australians and to the many generations of shipbuilders who have done work there.

This is my local community. They do hard work, they do important work, and in an increasingly complex world they will continue to play a really important role. This sovereignty means we own, operate and maintain the ships and subs that protect our people.