Overview

• The initial funding will deliver shipyards, graving docks and depot‑level maintenance at the Henderson Defence Precinct, with early work starting on Army landing craft and a planned domestic build of general purpose frigates.
• Officials say the precinct will provide contingency docking and sustainment for Australia’s future nuclear‑powered submarines and could service U.S. Navy and Royal Navy boats.
• The build‑out supports the AUKUS pathway, preparing Australia to receive its first Virginia‑class submarine in the early 2030s after allied rotational visits to HMAS Stirling begin in 2027 under Submarine Rotational Force West.
• The Pentagon is reviewing AUKUS delivery commitments under a process led by Under Secretary Elbridge Colby, though Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles reports positive signals from recent talks in Washington.
• The government frames the precinct as part of a larger defense outlay that adds A$70 billion over the next decade and supports about 10,000 direct jobs across Western Australia over two decades.