PRIME Minister John Howard recently announced the location for a $200 million project to relocate and collocate all elements of HQAST (Headquarters Australian Theatre).

The new joint operational headquarters will be built at a site on the King's Highway approximately 12km east of Queanbeyan in New South Wales.

Making the announcement during a rare visit to Defence HQ at Russell Offices Mr Howard said the Queanbeyan area had been chosen for the complex largely because of its proximity to Canberra and that the site, between Queanbeyan and Bungendore, had been selected on security grounds.

"The Kings Highway site offers greater flexibility to incorporate security safeguards in construction, the ability to control urban encroachment and the fact that the site is not on a commercial flight path," he said.

The new location for HQAST, currently dispersed at Garden Island, Potts Point and Victoria Barracks in central Sydney, as well as Glenbrook in the Blue Mountains, will draw together the three Service Commands (Maritime, Land and Air) and Special Operations.

Mr Howard said that about 1000 service personnel were expected to work in the new headquarters and, if families were factored in, would require local housing for more than 3000 people.

"In broad terms, the new headquarters complex represents an investment of about $200 million in equipment and buildings.

"The construction phase will inject an estimated $150 million into the Queanbeyan regional economy creating up to 250 jobs in construction and related communications and information technology work."

He said a single joint command centre at the operational level would provide the CDF with an effective and efficient means of commanding the ADF, ensuring a more efficient allocation of resources and improving the information flow to Government with more informed and responsive advice.

"The new headquarters will bring together for the first time Joint, Maritime, Land, Air and Special Operations staff. The Australian Theatre Joint Intelligence Centre and the 1st Joint Movement Group will also be housed in the building complex.

"A permanent joint headquarters is the final stage in the development of a unified operational headquarters within the ADF's three-tier command structure encompassing strategic, operational and tactical areas."

Mr Howard said Queanbeyan was deemed the most cost-effective option for the new headquarters and would also offer advantages in terms of back-to-back postings for senior military staff and their families.

"Locating Headquarters Australian Theatre near Queanbeyan will also help improve retention of key personnel by offering increased certainty for their families.

"With the possibility of back-to-back postings, including attending Staff College in Weston Creek, a posting to HQAST and a posting at Defence Headquarters in Russell, more officers will be able to reside in one location for a longer period.

"This is particularly important during children's school years."

Defence will now commence a public consultation process and begin negotiations with local landowners for the sale of the land.

The new facilities will take about five years to complete with the headquarters expected to be operational in 2006/2007.

By Sgt Brian Hartigan