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- The Federal Government is set to fork out almost $100 million to expand an existing defence facility in regional Victoria
- The $96.4 million investment in the School of Armour at Puckapunyal will feature a new three-storey Armoured Vehicle Simulation Centre
- Nine additional workshop easy will also be constructed with driver training facilities and tactical simulators to be upgraded
- Roughly 85 per cent of the 200-person-per-day workforce is expected to be locally sourced
- Work on the project is expected to finish in late 2022
The Federal Government is set to fork out almost $100 million to expand an existing defence facility in regional Victoria that provides combat training to soldiers in the Australian Army.
The $96.4 million investment in the School of Armour at Puckapunyal will feature a new three-storey Armoured Vehicle Simulation Centre, nine additional workshop bays and the modernisation of training support facilities.
Driver training facilities and tactical simulators for the Army’s Armoured Fleet will also be upgraded.
Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price noted that roughly 85 per cent of the 200-person-per-day workforce will be locally sourced.
“The construction at Puckapunyal will be of great benefit to the Victorian economy and generate exciting opportunities for local businesses, showing once again that we have the backs of small business,” she said.
“The program will also deliver workshops and supporting infrastructure that is designed to be able to maintain the suite of Armoured Fighting Vehicle platforms both now and into the future.”
Construction company St Hilliers has been awarded the head contract for the second instalment of the $235 million Fighting Vehicle Facilities Program Stage One works, after an initial contract was awarded for work at Lavarack Barracks in Townsville earlier this month.
“Our investment will support the upgraded M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank and incoming LAND 400 and LAND 8160 vehicle fleets,” Price continued.
“Training for these next-generation vehicles includes networked, high-fidelity training simulators in new, future-ready training centres.”
Work on the project is expected to finish in late 2022.
