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Babcock Australasia is set to ramp up operations at its newly opened Adelaide defence-support hub, with plans to boost the footprint at Woodville North by an extra 50 per cent.
The state-of-the-art facility, officially unveiled only months ago, will receive a significant upgrade with the addition of a bespoke $7 million warehousing assembly hall. This new space is designed to provide specialised testing capabilities that underpin Babcock’s ongoing upgrade of the nation’s Defence High Frequency Communications System (JP9101) and will back future Defence projects.
The facility’s total area will swell to 6,000 square metres following the expansion, giving the firm greater operational flexibility and enhanced project delivery capabilities. The development is part of a broader move to support a range of nationally significant defence initiatives, including contributions to the Collins Class submarine fleet, Hunter Class frigates, and counter chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (C‑CBRNE) assets.
Babcock Australasia chief executive Andrew Cridland said the decision to proceed into the next phase was driven by the need to bolster strategic infrastructure that not only supports local business and job creation but also secures the future of Australia’s defence capabilities.
“We’ve gone straight into phase two of this build at Woodville North because we recognise the need to deliver strategic infrastructure that empowers local businesses, supports jobs, and secures the future of Australia's defence capabilities,” Cridland said.
“This expansion is one of a number of key initiatives we are currently undertaking to maximise our support of the Australian Defence Force. Through key programs like JP9101 we are delivering resilient, sovereign communications in support of strategic defence missions and national security objectives.”
“We are pleased to be working in partnership with Commercial & General and Tandem again on this important extension to our new facility,” he said.
Babcock Australasia managing director mission and support systems, Richard Udall, said: “The expanded facility will provide additional space to maximise the production, integration and testing of the new Enhanced Defence High Frequency Communications System before it is transported to each node site.”
Partnering on the project is Commercial & General, which was instrumental in delivering the initial $31 million high-tech building. Its construction division Tandem has already broken ground on this second phase. The new section is set to mirror the high Defence-accreditation standards and green credentials of the existing structure.
Commercial & General executive chairman Jamie McClurg said: “We are once again thrilled to be working with Babcock on their next phase of expansion. Our team is well versed in how to deliver effectively against the technically complex briefs that the defence sector sets out and as such have become trusted partners in this space.”
“This is a prime example of our integrated capabilities at work; with the site owned, managed and developed by the C&G Industrial and Logistics Opportunities Fund (ILOF), with purpose-built facilities constructed by Tandem – we create certainty for our clients and deliver better outcomes,” McClurg said.
Currently, more than 100 staff are hard at work on site, with the expansion expected to generate approximately 110 construction jobs. Practical completion of the new build is projected for the middle of the year.
