Delivering a plan for continuous Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment in Australia

The Albanese Government has reaffirmed its commitment to continuous naval shipbuilding and sustainment, delivered by an Australian workforce and anchored by sovereign supply chains, through the release of the 2024 Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Plan.

The 2024 Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Plan outlines the Government’s record investment of up to $159 billion over the next decade through the Integrated Investment Program that will see a significant boost to Australia’s maritime capabilities. This includes 55 newly announced vessels compared to the plan under the former Coalition government.

The Plan articulates a 30-year pipeline of construction and sustainment projects, largely across South Australia and Western Australia, including conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, an enhanced lethality surface combatant fleet and landing craft for the Australian Army. 

These decisions will create an intergenerational pipeline of naval construction projects that will support around 8,500 jobs in shipbuilding and sustainment by 2030, plus an additional 20,000 jobs over the next 30 years in support of Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine program. 

The Albanese Government is already taking decisive steps to grow this workforce, including through:

• $1.5 billion to provide 500,000 Free TAFE and vocational education training places;
• $250 million to attract, train and retain the nuclear-powered submarine workforce, including 4,000 Commonwealth supported STEM university places across Australia; 
• The implementation of the South Australia Defence Industry Workforce and Skills Report and Action Plans in partnership with the South Australian Government. 

The coordinated growth of this workforce will be overseen by the newly established Maritime Workforce and Skills Council in close collaboration with partners from federal, state and territory governments, industry, trade unions and academia.

The Government is also progressing detailed design and enabling works to deliver multi-billion-dollar infrastructure upgrades for Australia’s maritime industrial base, including for the new Defence Precinct at Henderson in Western Australia and the Submarine Construction Yard at Osborne in South Australia.

Building and sustaining vessels for the defence force is critical to protecting our national security and sovereignty, and supporting Australia’s industrial capability. 

To ensure the Government’s approach to shipbuilding keeps pace with the changing strategic environment, the plan will be updated on a biennial basis, with the next iteration scheduled for release in 2026.

A copy of the 2024 Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Plan can be found here: https://www.defence.gov.au/about/strategic-planning/2024-naval-shipbuilding-sustainment-plan. 

Quotes attributable to Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Richard Marles MP:

“The long-term investment laid out in the 2024 Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Plan represents the Albanese Government’s vision for continuous naval shipbuilding and sustainment, a future made in Australia and our commitment to keeping Australians safe.

“Through the most significant investment in maritime capability in Australia’s history, we will see generations of naval construction projects happen right here, with plans to construct and upgrade over 70 vessels across South Australia and Western Australia. 

Quotes attributable to Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, the Hon Pat Conroy MP:

“Under this plan, the Albanese Government is building world class shipyards and creating tens of thousands of well-paid jobs for decades to come, providing financial security for Australians and a future made in Australia.

“The Government’s record investment in the maritime domain will deliver a much bigger and more lethal navy and an army that’s appropriate to our strategic environment. This will make Australia safer.”