Media Room: Media Releases
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Defence |
| 27/07/2005 | MSPA 188/05 |
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FIRST ON-SITE WORK UNDERWAY ON HEADQUARTERS JOINT OPERATIONS COMMAND PROJECT NEAR BUNGENDORE The first steps towards creating the new collocated Joint Operations Command headquarters (HQJOC) on a site between Queanbeyan and Bungendore have begun. The early site activity includes the replacement of the existing boundary fence, trial tree planting to establish the most suitable plantings for the planned broadacre landscaping program, and the installation of monitoring equipment to plot weather conditions and bore water capacities. The new headquarters project, first announced by the Government in October 2001, will provide the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) with a more effective means of commanding the Australian Defence Force (ADF) by collocating all staff and agencies responsible for operational level planning and execution of military operations and other activities as decided by the Government. Project Director General, Air Commodore Jack Plenty, said he was pleased to see preliminary work now underway at the headquarters site. "This project will be a boost for the local region and represents an investment of some $300 million, with the new facility supporting more than 1000 Defence personnel plus contractor staff. "The project will inject an estimated $300 million into the regional economy and create some 500 - 600 jobs during the construction and final fit-out work," Air Commodore Plenty said. "We are particularly conscious of water conservation concerns in the district and need to establish base line information on the bore supply before construction begins," the Air Commodore said. The Project is planning a new series of community consultations in the local region within the next six weeks to update people on the project and explain the main points in the two EIS reports. The reports are available via the Project website – www.defence.gov.au/id/hqjoc/links.htm A cultural heritage survey is also about to start to investigate the presence of Aboriginal and early European artifacts on the site. The commencement of work on site follows the recent publication of the EIS on the construction project. A Supplementary Report attached to the final EIS addresses matters raised in the 23 submissions received after the report went on public exhibition late last year. The Department of the Environment and Heritage has since cleared the way for early site works and advised the project team that it would advise the Department of Defence of its conditions for approval of the final EIS within 60 business days. Air Commodore Plenty said the Government would announce the successful tender for the project in coming months and work on the new facility would start shortly afterwards. "The construction phase, including the installation of the command and control systems, will take about two to two and a half years to complete with the new headquarters expected to be operational from early 2008," he said.
Media Information Photos available from www.defence.gov.au/media/download Contact: Defence Media (02) 6265 3343 or 0408 498 664 |
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