Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence Fran Bailey said tonight that the Australian Capital Territory would benefit from approved Defence facilities projects totalling approximately $8 million in the 2004-05 Budget.

Subject to Defence planning processes, an extra $2 million per annum will be spent over the next four years on Defence estate upkeep works.

Some 11,000 members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Department of Defence personnel are based in the Australian Capital Territory.

"The investment in the ACT will see $4.5 million being spent refitting existing accommodation in order to house the increased requirements of the Defence Imagery and Geospatail Organisation. This important work will be completed by September 2004", Fran Bailey said.

"Work will also be completed on a $13.5 million program to provide a multi-user depot at HMAS Harman bringing together a number of Defence activities".

Capital Facilities Projects for the Australian Capital Territory include:

Russell Offices Building R4 will be refitted to accommodate the increased requirements of the Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation. The project is well progressed with remaining works expected to be completed by September 2004.

This project will provide a multi-user depot at HMAS Harman that will collocate various Navy, Army and Air Force operational units, reserves and cadets from the Canberra area to one location. The requirement arises from the sale of RAAF Fairbairn and the proposed sale of the Army depot in Canberra city. Work is scheduled for completion by August 2004.

This project will provide permanent passive security arrangements at Russell Offices.

The project aim is to remediate contamination to Mary Creek and Headwaters at the Jervis Bay Range Facility, Jervis Bay.

The Government will provide an additional $300m over three years from 2005-06 to meet increasing costs of maintaining the Defence estate. Defence has also redirected an additional $100m from within its existing budget to estate upkeep in 2004-05. The additional funding will bring planned expenditure on Defence estate upkeep to approximately $330m per annum for the next four years.

The additional funding will enable Defence to meet the increasing cost of maintaining its extensive base infrastructure, including airfields, naval bases, barracks, training ranges and fuel farms. Funds will also be used to meet community, environmental and occupational health and safety regulatory requirements.

The program of estate upkeep works is developed each year. The further funding is expected to result in the following additional expenditure on estate upkeep in the Australian Capital Territory over the next four years. These amounts may change as planning processes proceed.

Examples of works to be undertaken in the Australian Capital Territory in 2004-05 include:

• repairs to the obstacle course at the Royal Military College Duntroon
• heritage management works at the Royal Military College Duntroon; and
• erosion remediation and prevention at Majura training area.