Richard Marles Outlines Costs for Henderson Naval Facility

Acting Prime Minister and federal Defence Minister Richard Marles detailed the economic and employment benefits the AUKUS partnership will bring to Western Australia during the Defence Horizons breakfast in Perth on October 7. He identified the Henderson defence precinct as the site that will become the most important naval sustainment facility in Australia upon its completion.

Marles addressed the financial requirements of the project, noting that while $12 billion has been budgeted to initiate work, the Department of Defence estimates the total cost will exceed $25 billion. He explicitly dismissed suggestions from some defence experts that the final expenditure could reach $60 billion, though he confirmed the final price tag would definitely surpass the $25 billion estimate.