Greg Combet, Minister for Defence, Personnel, Materiel and Science, today congratulated Tasmanian company Taylor Bros Slipway and Engineering on winning a contract worth more than $25 million with the Air Warfare Destroyer project.
Mr Combet said Taylor Bros, an icon in Tasmania’s shipbuilding industry, would deliver a range of accommodation products to the Hobart Class AWDs including cabin and sanitary modules, on-board furniture and galley, pantry and scullery equipment.
“Taylor Bros were established in 1936 and has a long and successful history of working with both domestic and international marine-based industries.
“It has won this contract in a highly competitive tender process again demonstrating that Australian companies can win crucial work in the AWDs, in this case supplying the accommodation in which our sailors will live and work.
“Australian industry content in the contract is valued at about 70 per cent.
“The success of a Tasmanian company brings to four the number of Australian states contributing in a major way to the AWD project.
“Construction of the ships’ blocks which will make up the three air warfare destroyers will take place in Victoria, NSW and South Australia with the ships then being assembled at Osborne in South Australia. This demonstrates the national importance of the AWD project,” Mr Combet said.
This contract for Taylor Brothers will create 20 new jobs.
In a separate announcement, Mr Combet also said that the AWD Alliance had signed a contract for the provision of what will be Australia’s biggest crane.
“The crane with a capacity of more than 900 tonnes will be supplied by Manitowoc Crane Group Australia at a cost in the region of $14 million. At ASC’s shipyard in Adelaide the crane will be used to assemble the ships bringing together the blocks which will make up the AWDs. The blocks will measure up to 18 metres wide and weigh up to 250 tonnes.
“These two announcements show that the AWD project remains on track to deliver the first AWD in 2014,” Mr Combet said.