DEFENCE Civmec’s Henderson facility with an artist’s rendering of new Forgacs factory in foreground
CIVMEC’S WATERSHED MOMENT Fabricator’s grand plan to elbow its way into contract stream BY STEPHEN BELL WA Works Editor
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ifteen months after revealing plans to break into Australia’s tight-knit defence sector, Civmec has started building its WA assault weapon – an $80 million shed. Premier Colin Barnett has turned the first sod at a vacant block alongside Civmec’s Henderson heavy engineering facility, marking the start of a new era for the construction contractor. Over the coming weeks and months, that spadeful of soil will grow into a potent symbol of Civmec’s new defence business – a colossal workshop capable of housing the biggest vessels planned for Australia’s $195 billion defence renewal program. “It will be large enough to fit frigates into and will be badged Forgacs,” says Mike Deeks, managing director of Civmec’s wholly-owned Forgacs Marine and Defence unit. The frigates on everyone’s minds are those scheduled to be built over the next decade for the Australian Government’s new fleet of nine-anti submarine warfare frigates worth $35 billion.
The Government has said they will be built in Adelaide, but there is an expectation that some construction will spill over into WA as the program heats up. With its new building now underway, Civmec will have a powerful bargaining chip as it deals itself into defence, probably by forming joint ventures or partnerships with some of the key players. Civmec’s existing Henderson factory is already regarded as the largest heavy-engineering facility of its kind in Australia, but even it will be dwarfed by the new building, expected to measure about 60m at its highest point. It will feature a tailormade design with the main bays separated by central dividers to house planning and project offices, workshops and storerooms. “The lifts will be large enough to have a forklift with a pallet, so we’ll be able to bring bits of major equipment up onto the different levels,” says Deeks, a former Royal Australian Navy Commodore who joined Civmec in September, 2015. “The beauty of it is that crib rooms and ablution facilities will be right there so workers won’t be too far from a toilet
or a storeroom if they need to pick up consumables or get a new tool. “So it will enable a very high level of productivity.” The building, which also features two storeys of secure offices, could easily house 800 to 1000 people, Deeks says. Civmec carried out detailed research for the project, showing its drawings to other shipbuilders to incorporate their tips into the final design. But some things were non-negotiable, given Civmec’s location at Henderson’s Australian Marine Complex on the shores of the Indian Ocean. Fleet Base West – the home of Australia’s submarine force and half of the Australian frigate fleet – is at Garden Island, just 10km across the water. “The biggest thing is to just have a roof over your head,” Deeks says.” People say that WA’s climate is wonderful, but for shipbuilding in the open air you either get wet in winter or sandblasted and boiled in summer. “So the option of putting major vessels underneath a cover is a big plus.” The main roof will be twice the height of Civmec’s existing factory, with a third storey > p58 SUMMER 2016/17 WA WORKS 57