UK contractor Laing O’Rourke has won a defence contract worth US$579m in Australia’s northeastern Queensland region.
The project will be part of a military training scheme between Australia and Singapore. Work on it will include the construction of facilities and the upgrading of infrastructure at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area, located 80km north of Rockhampton.
Laing O’Rourke says Shoalwater is “one of Australia’s key training areas for the conduct of domestic and international defence training”.
The contract is part of a larger $1.6bn investment in central and north Queensland, which aims to increase jobs and skills in the region.
Some $36m in annual funding is earmarked for construction.
David Fawcett, Australia’s assistant minister for defence, said: “Laing O’Rourke has committed to sourcing over 80% of work from the central Queensland region.
“There will be opportunities for industry in the initial facilities and infrastructure construction on the expanded training area.”
Construction on the project is due to begin by the end of 2019.
Image: The signatories
