Anthony Albanese: $30bn investment into South Australia projected for AUKUS

The federal government will provide $3.9bn to an Adelaide shipyard to train the workforce needed to support the AUKUS defence pact.

AUKUS, the trilateral defence pact between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, is a key part of Australia’s national security and defence framework.

Under the $368bn agreement, Australia will be armed with nuclear-powered submarines, with the US delivering three American-made Virginia-class boats in the interim.

Speaking at the Osborne shipyard on Sunday, Anthony Albanese described the federal government’s investment into the $3.9bn Skills and Training Academy as a “down payment”.

“This is a driver, not just of our national security and how we’re going to defend our nation into the future,” the Prime Minister said.

“It’s also a driver of our economic prosperity, as well as making such an enormous difference to some of the apprentices that we’ve met here today.”

Once established, about 1000 apprentices will graduate every year from the proposed skills and training centre, Mr Albanese said.

“This submarine construction yard will see almost 10,000 jobs created to design and build the yard and to build nuclear powered submarines in South Australia,” he said.

“ … my government will contribute as a down payment, $3.9bn for this project, making an enormous difference.

“We know that the estimation is that there’ll be $30bn invested here in Adelaide, in South Australia to make a difference.

“What that means is jobs, when it’s all up and running, 5500 direct jobs, but a multiplier of that in indirect jobs and economic activity.”

Mr Albanese was confident the AUKUS agreement was tenable, pointing to “in-person” conversations he has had with US President Donald Trump, as well as other members of the US administration.

“This is the interests of the United States, in the interests of the UK and in the interests of Australia,” he said.

“And that is why this is a project that is progressing in accordance with not just the principles, but the plan of action, which we are rolling out.”

AUKUS was previously subject to a highly secretive Pentagon review amid concerns of its viability for the US after Mr Trump was elected to office.

The assessment had sparked concerns AUKUS could be thrown off the table.

But it has since received public endorsement from both Mr Trump and, upon conclusion of the review, from Pentagon officials.

While its contents have yet to be made public, Australia’s defence officials confirmed in December they had received copies of the assessment.