By Holly Tancredi, Contributing Editor
Each edition of Council Magazine we choose one local government from across Australia to shine a spotlight on. Whether it’s new infrastructure, an innovative technology project, a leading sustainability initiative or a community connection, we want to highlight the best of our local governments and share some valuable knowledge to other place makers across our nation. This edition, we spoke to the City of Cockburn in Western Australia to discuss its incoming opportunity to break traditions and build a unique, blue economy.
On the coast of Western Australia, the City of Cockburn is brimming with opportunities, abundant natural resources and well-planned infrastructure – and alongside these features the region’s blue economy is set to continue booming, all thanks to a new international deal.
The United Nations refers to the blue economy as the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs, while preserving the health of the ocean ecosystem.
The City of Cockburn said a blue economy is an obvious focus for Australia impacting sectors such as tourism, fishing, maritime, port, and navy defence industries for hundreds of local governments across the country.
In 2022, anticipating further spending in defence and maritime industries, Council formed a Blue Economy Advisory Group, which now has over 30 members who meet quarterly, reflecting and advising on the growing blue economy in the region.
Members of the advisory group include the Australian Defence Force’s Office of Defence Industry Support (ODIS), the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation, The University of Western Australia, Curtin University, the Australian Defence Industry Network, the Henderson Alliance and large local operators including BAE Systems, Austal, Civmec and Luerssen Australia.
The AUKUS announcement
In March 2023 Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, announced the AUKUS deal was signed, with the goal of acquiring nuclearpowered submarines in partnership with the UK and US. The AUKUS agreement stated that it has a key aim to “build a future made in Australia, by Australians, with record investments in defence, skills, jobs and infrastructure”.
The City of Cockburn is already well-established to make this future a reality due to its continued support of, and growth, of its blue economy businesses. City of Cockburn Executive of Corporate Affairs, Victoria Green, who is responsible for economic development, said the City was incredibly proud to “walk the walk” in partnering with its community to “identify innovative ways to support Cockburn’s vibrancy and economic diversity, and sustain that well into the future”.
“Helping our business community establish networks to responsibly identify and develop the blue economy is a no-brainer,” Ms Green said. “This is how local government can help foster and grow healthy, passionate communities where people want to work, live and invest. It’s great for our future.”
Nation-supporting infrastructure
Cockburn’s blue beaches are not only a fantastic destination for locals and tourists. The local coastal suburb of Henderson is also home to Australia’s largest marine industry; a $15 billion cluster of maritime infrastructure – the Australian Marine Complex (AMC), where demands of the AUKUS will be supported.
“The City has had a long association with the Australian Defence Force as the AMC is one of only two locations suitable for naval shipbuilding in Australia,” Ms Green said. “The AMC and surrounds is a world-class centre of excellence for manufacturing, fabrication, assembly, maintenance, and technology development, servicing the defence, marine, oil and gas, and resource industries.”
Prior to the AUKUS announcement, the operators in Henderson had already forecasted $2.7 billion of additional investment in shipbuilding infrastructure. But now, with the AUKUS submarine pathway announced, Ms Green said Cockburn is “poised to become a major national and global centre for blue economy industries, especially shipbuilding and maritime defence”.
Part of the forecasted growth includes: construction or upgrades for 70 defence vessels, along with $45 billion in shipbuilding orders in Western Australia by 2040. This will create 4,500 additional ship construction jobs in the state by 2030. “This puts Cockburn Council in a unique position,” Ms Green said.
“Our City is advocating on behalf of its industrial and commercial stakeholders and residents, to champion infrastructure investment that will enable Henderson to meet the challenges ahead, and consolidate its role.” With major investment ahead for the region, the expanding blue economy will be supporting significant job opportunities.
“At its peak, it is expected that building and sustaining US, UK and sovereign nuclear-powered submarines will create up to 8,500 direct jobs in the industrial workforce,” Ms Green said.
The marine and defence hub
With forward planning a clear focus for Council, it has been consulting with the local blue economy-focused businesses, training organisations, and major defence, shipbuilding and maritime industry stakeholders, to identify ways to leverage future projects and job opportunities.
“It’s an exciting time in Cockburn’s history and we’re acting to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Ms Green said. Ms Green explained Council’s plan for a Council-driven marine and defence innovation hub positioned near the Henderson shipbuilding precinct, how it is gaining momentum and why it could have huge implications for the future of the region and its workforce.
“The Cockburn Blue Innovation Hub would connect up to 40 blue economy-focused businesses with major maritime and defence and research organisations under one roof,” Ms Green said. “The proposed accelerator hub is designed to foster local supply chain capability and capacity.
“A vital part of this will be to find solutions for an estimated shortage of 1,000 workers and a critical deficit of specific trades and technical skills in Cockburn, as well as to bolster the significant local supply chain requirements. This future planning is also where its Blue Economy Advisory Group is utilised.
The group is working to highlight the infrastructure, road improvements, renewable energy operators and investment needed to not only grow the local blue economy, but help the region meet the demands of the AUKUS deal.
“The City is also working with ODIS to help local small to medium enterprises join the defence supply chain and secure long-term contracts, gain exposure to new markets, and become a part of this growth sector,” Ms Green said. “We’ve hosted an ODIS breakfast briefing session where local SMEs were able to hear about defence opportunities and how to take advantage of them by using a helpful online Defence Business Readiness Tool.”
A committed message for the future of the region
Ms Green said councils are at the heart of communities, acting in its best interests through providing or supporting basic, vital services and that it can extend past traditional local government expectations of rates, roads and rubbish.
“We can help create wealth for our residents who will benefit from infrastructure investment, further training and employment, as local government takes on an active advocacy role to make representations to State and Federal government for increased investment in these areas.
“We believe helping attract prosperity into our City forms part of those actions to better guarantee a viable future for Cockburn and the more than 122,000 residents that live across our 24 suburbs.
“We can go into bat for our business community to help it foster sustainable practices, and focusing on the resources within our community – like the ocean – the blue economy is an opportunity that can’t be ignored.”
