Mr PRICE (5:11 PM) —On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works I present the seventh report for 2009 of the committee relating to referrals made August to October 2009.

Ordered that the report be made a parliamentary paper.

Mr PRICE —by leave—The seventh report for 2009 of the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Public Works, Referrals Made August to October 2009, addresses six works located from Queensland to Afghanistan and from Sydney to Paris—although I did not travel to those locations, I point out. Together these projects represent $1.7 billion worth of infrastructure investment. In each case the committee has recommended that the House of Representatives agree to the works proceeding. The works in this report are: defence housing at the Gordon Olive Estate in McDowall, Brisbane, for Defence Housing Australia, at an estimated cost of $27.2 million; defence housing at Larrakeyah Barracks, Darwin, also for Defence Housing Australia, at an estimated cost of $52.4 million; Midlife Engineering Service’s refurbishment of the Australian Embassy in Paris for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, at an estimated cost of $28.3 million; enhanced land for a stage 2 facilities project for the Department of Defence at 12 defence bases and training areas of Australia, at an estimated cost of $1.457 billion; redevelopment of Tarin Kowt in Afghanistan, also by the Department of Defence, at an estimated cost of $86.4 million; and tropical marine research facilities in Townsville and Cape Ferguson for the Australian Institute of Marine Science at an estimated cost of $49.5 million.

This report demonstrates the breadth of projects regularly considered by the committee, and the committee is pleased to table a report that is so diverse in both subject matter and geography. The works approved by the committee in this report will help protect Australian soldiers serving in Afghanistan, develop internationally unique marine research facilities, provide housing for members of the ADF and their families, ensure the viability of one of Australia’s best-known embassy buildings and provide the Army with facilities for its expansion.

The committee was pleased throughout the inquiry process to have a number of submissions from members of the public about projects under consideration. The committee was particularly pleased to note that practical solutions to some project issues were developed through discussion amongst witnesses at the hearings. The committee will continue to promote broader community consultation and discussion as an essential part of all projects as members have seen repeatedly how this leads to tangible results. In respect of the enhanced land force stage 2 project, for example, the committee has recommended that the Department of Defence develop a consultation protocol to ensure that it mirrors the consultation required under routine local planning procedures. This is particularly important for Defence given the constraints imposed increasingly on established bases by growing urban areas. There is sometimes a tension between competing priorities and, whilst everyone demonstrates considerable interest in working towards a practical and workable solution, the committee felt that Defence needs to be more explicit as to how it intends to consult.

Given the obvious diversity of projects considered by the committee, it is worth noting some of the common threads running through the proposed works. In each case the committee has sought to ensure that agencies plan and design facilities with reference to local climate and weather conditions. The committee has also placed an emphasis on the environmental sustainability of each project as a whole including demolitions, adaptive re-use, new construction and the ongoing use of facilities. The committee inquired about the flexibility of projects and the capacity for future expansion of planned facilities as well as their impact on the nearby community. The committee was pleased to note that agencies are attentive to these considerations throughout the planning, design and construction process. Again I would like to thank the serving members and senators for their work in relation to these inquiries. Again I would like to commend our very highly professional and competent staff that serve the committee so well. I commend this report to the House.