Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee, , 7:04:41 to 7:08:59
The Chief of Army discusses the split of Forces Command between Randwick Barracks and Defense Plaza Sydney, including the use of temporary buildings during the transition to a permanent solution.
Topics: ADF, Infrastructure, Workplace culture
Speakers: Senator Jessica Collins, Meghan Quinn, Speaker 21, Speaker 30, Raff Ciccone
>> Thank you, Chair. Um, could I also please, you can remain at the table. Thank you. Um, also the chief of army as well, please.
>> Senator, if you could ask a question and we could just make sure we've got the right people at the table.
>> I will be asking a question to the chief of army, but also security and state
>> I think the secretary directs or the chief directs, but ask the question,
who decided to split forces command between Victoria Barracks and Defense, sorry, between Ranwick and Defense Plaza Sydney and what's the rationale behind
Uh so we we have an integrated approach within the department to assess uh the transition plans for particular sites. So there's a detailed working group uh and it it considers all the aspects of the transition uh and so we we work through uh the available space at different locations, the capability uh the timing and sequence of those sorts of things. It is an integrated assessment uh and we have put plans uh plans have been put to to me um and and others and plans put to the government uh and subsequent action. We are in consultation at the moment uh with staff uh about precise uhly the implementation detail of the transition. Um and absolutely the case that army was involved in the discussions uh in terms of where things go but not just um uh there's lots of elements there's health in there as well and uh cadets and reserves it's quite a complicated process so quite a lot of people are involved in the discussion.
>> Okay. Uh uh Lieutenant General were you involved in this discussion? Was it your idea to split forces command? Were you given an option to keep forces command
together? Uh, Senator, Lieutenant General Susan Coyle, Chief of Army. Um, as the secretary indicated, it's been a a series of discussions. I have absolutely been centrally involved in those discussions for the location for the relocation for Forces Command. Um, and uh, the uh, request that I have asked to be considered is that forces command for its uh, longerterm solution is Randwick barracks. Uh that would require us to be split in the interim between Defense Plaza Sydney and Ramwick Barracks until we can get a permanent solution um at Ramwick.
>> So how long will it be until you get
>> So that's going to be a function of the planning arrangements and investment decisions and so we don't have a specific date at the moment.
>> Give us a ballpark here. What are we
talking? >> I can't give you a ballpark.
>> Okay. Uh what kinds of buildings are forces command moving into in Randwick?
um forces command as part of the transition will be moving into a range of locations as you already indicated um at Randwick um in the interim that will um consist of a mix of existing buildings uh and also we will uh likely um use some temporary accommodation um while we uh finalize the um end state that the chief of army talked about which will allow us to consolidate all the force Command at Randwick.
>> Okay. So, you've got forces command moving into temporary buildings uh for a temporary for
>> just to be clear parts of forces command not the some are moving into permanent some are moving into temporary
>> parts of forces command and moving into temporary buildings for an unknown length period of time and we're probably talking years here by the time you've built the necessary infrastructure. Um, as chief of army uh and former commander of forces command, will the movement of forces command into temporary buildings and split across into Defense Plaza Sydney increase its capability or diminish it?