BUDGET 2005-06

More than $3 million in Defence funding for Tasmania

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, Teresa Gambaro said that subject to Defence planning processes, Tasmania would benefit from an extra $1 million in Defence spending per annum over the next three years on Defence estate upkeep works. This brings Defence estate upkeep funding for Tasmania in 2005-06 to more than $3 million.

"The Howard Government will meet its 2004-05 commitment to provide an additional $300 million over three years from 2005-06 to meet increasing costs of maintaining the national Defence estate.

"The additional funding will bring planned expenditure on Defence estate upkeep to approximately $330 million per annum for the next three years," Ms Gambaro said.

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 programme of estate upkeep works is developed and revised each year. The further funding is expected to result in additional expenditure on estate upkeep in Tasmania over the next three years.

Some 1070 members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Department of Defence personnel are based in Tasmania.

Works to be undertaken in Tasmania include:

Upgrade roads for driver training courses in the Buckland training area.
Building repairs at Patterson Barracks.
Re-vegetation works at the Pontville small-arms range complex.
Environmental management works at Stony Head.

Media contacts:
Michelle Smytheman (Parliamentary Secretary) 02 6277 4433 0418 777 498
Defence Media Liaison 02 6265 3343 0408 498 664

Printer friendly version

Top

Receive media releases automatically via email. Register your address here