VCDF inspects the HQJOC construction site at Bungendore

By Colin Blair

Vice Chief of the Defence Force Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie has inspected the site for the new Headquarters Joint Operations Command (HQJOC) near Canberra.

As VCDF, he is also Chief of Joint Operations, which includes the headquarters.

During the visit, project Director General Air Commodore Jack Plenty briefed him about progress on the project, which will collocate ADF headquarters elements currently operating in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.

While there is currently little to see at the 200ha site between Queanbeyan and Bungendore, this will change dramatically during the next two and a half years, as the new state-of-the-art headquarters buildings take shape.

Early on-site activity includes the construction of a new 7km boundary fence, trial tree planting, and the installation of monitoring equipment to plot weather conditions and bore water capacities.

The VCDF said he was delighted to see the HQJOC Project progressing well, with the publication last month of the final environment impact statement. The Department of Environment and Heritage is considering the statement, and Minister for Environment and Heritage Ian Campbell is expected to issue the conditions for approval within the next four to six weeks.

“Defence is committed to creating a state-of-the-art collocated headquarters facility that will incorporate international best practice command and control technology,” Lieutenant General Gillespie said.

“The new joint headquarters will significantly improve our ability to plan and execute joint and combined Defence operations.”

The Government is expected to announce the successful tender for the construction phase later this year and work is likely to start in early 2006.

HQJOC, which will accommodate up to 1100 military and civilian personnel, is expected to be fully operational from 2008.

The new facility will also provide a welcome opportunity for ADF personnel to achieve back-to-back postings in the Canberra region, which should reduce posting turbulence for members and their families.

More information is available on the HQJOC Project web site – www.defence.gov.au/id/hqjoc/links.htm.

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