RELOCATION OF RAAF COLLEGE RAAF BASE EAST SALE, VICTORIA AND RAAF BASE WAGGA, NEW SOUTH WALES STATEMENT OF EVIDENCE TO THE PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE CANBERRA, ACT JUNE 2005 INTENTIONALLY BLANK (i) TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 OBJECTIVE 1 BACKGROUND 2 Geography 2 History and Composition 2 GOVERNING CONSIDERATIONS 3 Siting 3 Defence Force Disposition Review 4 SCOPE OPTION CONSIDERATIONS 4 THE REQUIREMENTS - RAAF BASE EAST SALE 5 Administration and training facilities for the Officer Training School 6 Function 6 Proposal 6 Schematic 6 External and physical training facilities for the Officer Training School 7 Function 7 Proposal 7 Living-in-accommodation for the Officer Training School 8 Function 8 Proposal 8 Schematic 9 Domestic support for the Officer Training School 9 Function 9 Proposal 9 Schematic 10 THE REQUIREMENTS - RAAF BASE WAGGA 10 RAAF College Headquarters 10 Function 10 Proposal 10 Administration and training facilities for No 1 Recruit Training Unit 10 Function 10 Proposal 11 Schematic 11 External training facilities for No 1 Recruit Training Unit 12 Function 12 Proposal 12 Living-in-accommodation and recreation facility for No 1 Recruit Training Unit 12 Function 12 Proposal 13 Schematic 13 Domestic support for No 1 Recruit Training Unit 14 Function 14 Proposal 14 (ii) ENGINEERING SERVICES 15 Deficiencies and need 15 Proposal 15 DEMOLITION WORKS 16 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS 16 Design standards 16 Design philosophy 17 Environmentally Sustainable Development 17 TIMINGS 19 ENVIRONMENTAL AND HERITAGE ISSUES 19 Environmental Management 19 Aboriginal heritage considerations 19 Other heritage and environment issues 20 CONSULTATION 20 STAFFING IMPLICATIONS 21 Establishment population 21 Construction workforce 21 COST OF THE PROJECT 21 FUTURE WORKS 22 Annexes: A Location Plan RAAF Base East Sale and RAAF Base Wagga B RAAF Base East Sale Site Plan C RAAF Base Wagga Site Plan D RAAF Base East Sale Officer Training School Headquarters - Floor Plan E RAAF Base East Sale Officer Training School Learning Centre - Floor Plan F RAAF Base East Sale Officer Training School Learning Centre – Elevation G RAAF Base East Sale Officer Training School Living In Accommodation - Floor Plan H RAAF Base East Sale Combined Mess Facility – Floor Plan I RAAF Base Wagga 1 Recruit Training Unit Headquarters – Floor Plan J RAAF Base Wagga 1 Recruit Training Unit Headquarters – Elevation K RAAF Base Wagga 1 Recruit Training Unit Middleton VC Club and Training Building L RAAF Base Wagga 1 Recruit Training Unit GTE Store and Physical Training Building M RAAF Base Wagga 1 Recruit Training Unit Living In Accommodation – Floor Plan 1 INTRODUCTION 1. This evidence to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works (PWC) presents a proposal to provide facilities and infrastructure at RAAF Base East Sale and RAAF Base Wagga to bring about cost efficiencies and to overcome identified deficiencies in current RAAF College elements at RAAF Williams (Point Cook Base) and RAAF Base Edinburgh. 2. The proposed RAAF College Relocation project involves the relocation of the following RAAF elements: a. the RAAF College Headquarters from Point Cook Base to RAAF Base Wagga, b. the Officer Training School from Point Cook Base to RAAF Base East Sale, and c. No 1 Recruit Training Unit from RAAF Base Edinburgh to RAAF Base Wagga. 3. The provision of these facilities will provide new facilities and infrastructure for the initial training of all RAAF airmen and airwomen recruits, and officer candidates. The proposal will provide purpose-built administration, training and living-in-accommodation facilities that will enhance RAAF’s capability into the future. OBJECTIVE 4. The objective of the RAAF College Relocation project is to replace aged facilities and infrastructure, overcome deficiencies where facilities do not meet contemporary occupational health and safety standards, bring about cost efficiencies and address problems where facilities are overcrowded and dysfunctional. 5. The RAAF College Relocation project was initiated as a result of the Defence Efficiency Review that identified cost efficiencies could be achieved with the closure of the Point Cook Base with its aging facilities and to accord with Defence policy to have fewer bases. Furthermore, the inadequacy of No 1 Recruit Training Unit facilities at RAAF Base Edinburgh was identified. The need to achieve cost efficiencies and address the deficiencies was considered a priority. Relocation to RAAF Base East Sale and RAAF Base Wagga was appropriate, as these bases had been identified for long-term retention as centres for RAAF training. The relocation also supports the Government’s commitment to regional Australia. 2 BACKGROUND 6. RAAF College is responsible for the delivery of up to 100 courses and the training of up to 5500 recruits, senior non-commissioned officers, officer candidates, Australian Defence Force Academy cadets and junior officers each year. The majority of postgraduate courses are provided through distance learning. RAAF College elements are currently dispersed over several defence sites: a. RAAF Base Point Cook - Headquarters RAAF College and the Officer Training School; b. RAAF Base Edinburgh - No 1 Recruit Training Unit; c. RAAF Base Wagga - School of Postgraduate Studies; d. RAAF Base Richmond - School of Postgraduate Studies, Corporal Promotion Centre; and e. RAAF Base Amberley - School of Postgraduate Studies, Corporal Promotion Centre. Geography 7. RAAF Base East Sale. RAAF Base East Sale is 3 kilometres to the east of the significant regional centre of Sale, Victoria within the Wellington Shire. Located approximately 200 kilometres east of Melbourne, the base occupies an area of approximately 800 hectares. A location map is provided in Annex A. 8. RAAF Base Wagga. RAAF Base Wagga is 11 kilometres to the east of the significant regional city of Wagga Wagga, within the Wagga Wagga City Council. Located approximately 450 kilometres south-west of Sydney, the base occupies an area of approximately 300 hectares. A location map is provided in Annex A. History and composition 9. RAAF Base East Sale. RAAF Base East Sale was opened in April 1943 with the arrival of No 1 Operational Training Unit flying Beaufort and Hudson medium bombers. At that time it was staffed with 2500 personnel responsible for training operational aircrew. World War II saw the rapid expansion of the base with 3558 pilots, navigators, signallers and gunners training at RAAF Base East Sale. Since 1945, the base has remained the main postgraduate flying training centre of the RAAF and supports the Central Flying School, the School of Air Navigation and the School of Air Traffic Control. RAAF Base East Sale is also the home to the RAAF’s premier aerobatic team ‘The Roulettes’. The base currently has approximately 370 Service and 370 civilian staff. It is a significant RAAF training establishment and supports the following major units at the base: 3 a. Headquarters Air Training Wing, b. Central Flying School, c. School of Air Navigation, d. School of Air Traffic Control, e. No 32 Squadron, f. No 44 Wing Detachment East Sale, g. Combat Support Unit East Sale, h. 4th/19th Price of Wales Light Horse Regiment (A Squadron), i. No 409 Squadron Australian Air Force Cadets, and j. Supporting agencies and minor units. 10. RAAF Base Wagga. RAAF Base Wagga was opened in 1940 with No 2 Flying Training School, using Wirraway and Anson aircraft. In 1942 the unit was replaced by No 5 Aircraft Depot that handled maintenance work for aircraft such as Beauforts, Beaufighters, Venturas and Mitchells. Following World War II, the base changed its focus from operations to training, with the relocation from Ascot Vale, Victoria of No 1 Engineering School, becoming in turn the RAAF Ground Training School and then the RAAF School of Technical Training. Headquarters Ground Training Wing is also collocated with many of its subordinate training units at the base. RAAF Base Wagga remains an important centre for airmen and airwomen technical training and hence is a very good ‘fit’ for the move of RAAF recruit training. Today, RAAF Base Wagga is staffed by approximately 800 Service and 300 civilian personnel. The units at RAAF Base Wagga comprise: a. Headquarters Ground Training Wing, b. RAAF School of Technical Training, c. School of Postgraduate Studies, d. Combat Support Unit Wagga, and e. supporting agencies. GOVERNING CONSIDERATIONS Siting 11. Neither RAAF Base East Sale nor RAAF Base Wagga have current Master Plans, although a Master Plan for RAAF Base East Sale is being developed. The siting for facilities 4 identified in the scope of works has been confirmed by Site Selection Boards that considered aspects such as: a. functional requirements; b. airfield planning criteria; c. aircraft operational requirements; d. obstruction clearance requirements; e. aircraft noise; f. explosive ordnance facilities and activities; g. security, ground and air defence of the base; h. environmental considerations; i. navigational aids; and j. potential future expansion. 12. The precincts selected for the RAAF College Relocation project are shown in Annex B (RAAF Base East Sale) and Annex C (RAAF Base Wagga). Defence force disposition 13. The elements of this proposal are consistent with Government direction and with current Defence force disposition planning which identifies long-term retention for both RAAF Base East Sale and RAAF Base Wagga as centres for RAAF training. This proposal will provide a good outcome in