THE HON ANDREW HASTIE MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE INDUSTRY
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE PERSONNEL
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR CANNING

Wednesday 1 May 2024

Locals in Rockingham are frustrated and anxious as the Albanese Government and WA Labor refuse to uplift the vicinity of HMAS Stirling, despite desperate pleas from residents and local governments.

As WA prepares for Submarine Rotational Force–West from 2027, and the arrival of thousands of personnel and their families, the Coalition has long been calling on Labor to upgrade infrastructure in and around Rockingham to cater for the additional growth.

These requests have been ignored.

In 2022, the former Coalition government committed $2 million towards a Garden Island highway feasibility study to ease congestion and take the pressure off Parkin Street and surrounding roads, if re-elected.

Labor failed to match this funding.

Despite the area being represented by both a state and federal Labor representative, the Albanese Government and the Cook Government have done little to uplift local infrastructure, create housing options and upgrade road networks.

So bad is the situation that even representatives from the United States have raised concerns about WA’s preparedness for AUKUS, particularly the infrastructure needed in the community and on base. This is deeply troubling.

Labor continues to ignore the concerns of our security partners, local residents, governments, stakeholders and the Coalition.

They remain ambivalent about AUKUS.

It's time for state and federal Labor to upgrade the HMAS Stirling vicinity – the Coalition calls upon them to do so immediately.