The Australian government announced on 10 August that it has awarded contracts worth a combined AUD71.6 million (USD52.6 million) to upgrade the Australian Army's Puckapunyal Training Area in Victoria as well as the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) facilities at HMAS Waterhen in New South Wales.
The Department of Defence (DoD) in Canberra said in a statement that the government awarded a AUD45.8 million lead contract to indigenous construction company Barpa Pty Ltd to upgrade infrastructure at the Puckapunyal Training Area, which is the Australian Army's centre for combined arms doctrinal development and training.
The project will improve “critical base infrastructure” that supports the operation and sustainment of the training area, said Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price, adding that Barpa will remediate and upgrade the current water, storm water, and sewerage systems throughout the base as part of the ‘Puckapunyal Mid-Term Refresh Project'. Work on the project started in July and is expected to be completed in early 2023.
In a separate statement the DoD said that Barpa had also secured a AUD25.8 million lead contract to upgrade the facilities at HMAS Waternhen, which is the RAN's lead establishment for mine warfare.
“The project will improve critical base infrastructure and ensure that HMAS Waterhen continues to be able to provide support to the mine warfare force,” said Price, adding that Barpa will remediate and upgrade the engineering services and working accommodation.
Detailed design work on that project started in July, with construction due to begin in late 2021 and finish in mid-2023.
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