Watpac awarded $146m Department of Defence contract

National contractor Watpac has been awarded a $146 million contract from the Department of Defence to deliver building and infrastructure upgrades along Australia’s east coast.

Part of the Base Security Improvement Program (BSIP), the project will deliver a range of security infrastructure works to 16 Defence establishments in Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria.

BSIP was established in late 2009 following a review of Defence’s protective security arrangements and includes a range of projects designed to improve security across Defence bases.

Watpac Limited Chief Executive Officer, Martin Monro, said the extensive program of works will comprise a broad range of facility upgrades, civil works and enhancements to security and visitor management.

“This is a significant multi-site construction project and will draw upon Watpac’s considerable experience in delivering critical infrastructure within fully operational Defence bases,” Mr Monro said.

“Works will commence later this month and will focus on the delivery of enhanced security treatments, building upgrades and improved visitor management facilities within the bases.”

Senator David Feeney, Parliamentary Secretary for Defence, said in a statement today that enhanced security will be achieved through state of the art electronic access control systems that will manage vehicle and pedestrian access at Defence establishments.

The project will deliver facilities designed to improve command and control in the event of a serious security incident, as well as additional closed circuit television, base wide alert systems and other electronic security systems.

Mr Monro said Watpac will mobilise specialist construction teams from the Group’s national operations to deliver the program across multiple sites, without disruption to the operation of these facilities.

“Watpac will deploy specialist teams totalling approximately 400 workers to deliver the construction program, with the upgrades to be delivered across as many as eight bases at any one time,” he said.

The project is scheduled for completion by December 2014.

Mr Monro said the project complements Watpac’s already substantial national Defence construction portfolio, which includes the delivery of more than 3,000 new accommodation units across 14 Australian Defence Force bases as part of the Plenary Living consortium’s Single Living Environment Accommodation Precinct (LEAP 2) project.