Civmec Construction and Engineering has started construction of its $24 million fabrication facility at the Australian Marine Complex in Henderson, aimed at lifting the state's chances of winning larger contracts.
Civmec Construction and Engineering has started construction of its $24 million fabrication facility at the Australian Marine Complex in Henderson, aimed at lifting the state's chances of winning larger contracts.
Commerce Minister Troy Buswell today turned the first sod at the site, which will be the country's largest undercover fabrication hall, covering the size of two Australian Rules football ovals.
"Civmec's fabrication hall will enable the State to take advantage of opportunities that arise from projects such as Gorgon and Oakajee, as well as opportunities which result from the Defence White Paper published earlier this year," Mr Buswell said.
"The sheer size of the workshop will mean Western Australia will be able to compete for larger scale fabrication and module assembly tenders from the marine, defence, petroleum and resources industries.
"This investment is anticipated to provide 650 new jobs and a thousand more indirectly from new work that will be brought into the State."
Civmec's chief executive officer Jim Fitzgerald said the facility would meet the need for a one-stop-shop for large and small scale module assembly in WA.
"We are excited by the opportunities this workshop will create for the State, which will be up and running in time for the Gorgon Project," he said.
The workshop is anticipated to be completed by the end of next year, with completion of the office approximately 12 months later.
Civmec was previously a subsidiary of VDM Group before it was sold to Ballymount Enterprises for $2.3 million in July.
VDM retained Civmec's intellectual property and continued it under another subsidiary, Wylie and Skene.
The Australian Manufacturers Workers' Union today welcomed the start of $24 million facility, and also called on the state government to maximise the development of skills to ensure the full construction of projects happens locall and not overseas.
"Colin Barnett has promised that every workshop on the Kwinana strip will be full as a result of the Gorgon Project, but the reality is that the majority of the fabrication of these new projects will be done overseas with only the finally assembly occurring in Australia," AMWU state secretary Steve McCartney.
"Troy Buswell's admission that the new shed will be for 'module assembly' proves that the much of the work will be done offshore and not in the workshops of Kwinana.
"The State Government's announcement proves yet again that the promised jobs in local manufacturing and fabrication are yet to eventuate."
"It's a travesty that the Government is not doing more to encourage companies to build their projects locally."
