Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee, , 9:06:33 to 9:13:35
Discussion on the transition of Forces Command to Defense Plaza Sydney, including the use of "villages" and "neighborhoods" in the office layout.
Topics: ADF, Procurement
Speakers: Meghan Quinn, Celia Perkins, Senator Jessica Collins, Speaker 21, Mark Hammond, Raff Ciccone
changing roles. We've heard through this estimates procedures about how parts of the some some some roles uh in the ADF at a operational level are shifting with the addition of technology etc. Uh there is was discussion about the defense legislation that we're we're removing uh the need to uh compensate for bullocks uh because we're going to automate auto
respect secretary I'm I'm asking about morale here and I was asking the chief of the army and I'm just going to quote a little bit from the Australian military power about
>> but it's also very important that we're to we're giving
>> sorry secretary I I'm all due respect I wasn't asking you I was asking somebody from the service because they understand morale Okay. And morale, I'm going to quote this. Morale is an essential component of combat power. >> It feeds it. I'm not finished. It feeds the spirit and the will to fight. Breaking the adversaries morale is a clear goal of war. Now, I'm asking the chief of army what they anticipate they will do to address the hit to morale from the loss of Victoria Barney. too.
>> Uh if I could just finish my uh intervention and then happy for chief of army to continue. Uh there are different elements of morale. It's also about building the capability and the uh the equipment and the locations from which to fight from. So there are different elements of morale. uh and so the intent of the government uh is to you is to use the additional funds from elements uh to provide the capability to fight and defend for Australia. Uh and so the additional capability that's achieved uh will be supportive of morale. Uh so there's lots of different elements that go into um the the complicated and important element of the defense forces.
>> Thank you very much, Lieutenant General.
Uh, Senator, I the I think the the truth for us will be that the what is next after we divest off Victoria Barracks into our permanent location in the future that it is enables us to continue to be able to be operational, capable and ready as forces command. And there are other locations that are on the barracks as well that are divesting and so for their equities as well. and how we do that and support our people through that transition that is how we will maintain our morale and welfare of our people. So the proof is in the pudding and we are working as a department to ensure that the uh divestment and relocation is done appropriately so that we can maintain our capability and our readiness as we do that and support our people and their families.
>> I appreciate the support you're giving to your people left tenant general. I'd like to now ask some questions about the defense estate security and estate
>> So, witnesses are coming.
>> Senator, while we while we're waiting for the officials to come to the table, um I'd just like to uh acknowledge your advocacy for our people. Um I'd also like to highlight that that this is not a new experience in some respects. that the turn of the century the the spiritual home of the submarine force HMOS platypus was divested uh in the past middle head facilities have been divested there is an element of change um uh that that we are used to and we decommission ships and the the Royal Australian Navy quite regularly people do feel a connection to the infrastructure the platforms and the equipment um and and it's right to acknowledge that uh I'd also like to to we are and we remain a professional war fighting force And whilst this is a a consideration, it does not define us.
>> Thank you, Admiral. >> Miss Perkins, you have allocated forces command to villages and defense defense plaza Sydney. Is that correct?
>> I'm sorry, Senator, I didn't quite hear
>> You you have allocated forces command to villages in Defense Plaza Sydney. Is that correct?
>> Uh yes. Uh Senator, to describe So
Perkins, you might come in close to the
microphone. Just the microphone's tilted. If you just want to That's it.
I've got the awkward bit of the table.
>> Maybe shuffle close to the secretary. I don't think she'll mind. But u friends
>> Uh yes, Senator. um uh in the design and fit out of that building uh I'm not sure if they call villages or neighborhoods but what it refers to is across the floors in the design of the building there's um I described earlier quite uh strong physical security from where you exit from a lift into a floor uh when you enter into a village as you described within the security perimeter there are internal staircases and what that allows is us to lock down parts of that tendency to particular work groups. Uh but it allows them to move freely across a number of floors without going outside the security perimeter. So we we use that term. I've used I've heard village or um I I just use another term. So it just refers to the way we've broken down um the the levels of the building. So uh you won't necessarily move from you know 14 to 22.
>> These are these are war fighters we're talking about. They're not smurfs. Why villages? Why, you know,
>> so Senator um you know, neighborhoods, villages, different people use um different components. You've heard um Miss Perkins talk about a characterization of a module. Um I understand that the um that the um Victoria Barrack Sydney is a training facility, training uh force. Um and so uh we we have worked through uh the capability and the functionality required uh for the the facil for what's currently there uh and determined uh the appropriate place to go in consultation uh with the areas that look after that capability. So I just would ask that um characterizations of our defense forces and our public servants as as fictional characters is is potentially not treating them with the respect. Well, I
mean I I don't think calling these areas villages is treating them with respect.
>> Well, it's have a few villages on the estate. Senator Wra village is my favorite village. Um the the tenants of the building and and um uh I hope we we uh had uh some of the forces command team uh visit last Thursday. uh uh I hope they're very comfortable, but in the way they operate in the space, they're free to call it um you know, whatever feels best and and most appropriate to them. It is just a property term uh Senator and um uh uh in no way denotes disrespect for the work of any of the people in the building.
>> Okay. Does uh do the defense plaza Sydney lease cond uh conditions require the department of defense to obtain approval from the landlord to undertake