Minister for Home Affairs, Brendan O’Connor, today announced the preferred tenderer to build the next generation of patrol boats to secure Australia’s borders. Austal, an award-winning Australian-owned ship manufacturer, is the preferred tenderer for the $350 million contract to build and support eight new Customs and Border Protection vessels.
“ Protecting Australia’s borders from threats of terrorism, people smuggling and organised crime, including the trafficking of illicit goods and illegal foreign fishing, is a major priority for the Government ,” Minister O’Connor said. “ The purchase of eight new Cape Class Patrol Boats is an investment in Australia’s long-term security. It will significantly bolster Customs and Border Protection’s capability to detect and respond to illegal activity in Australian waters. The new vessels will better support our dedicated Customs and Border Protection officers to more readily carry out their important work .”
The Cape Class Patrol Boats Project calls for the new vessels to have significantly enhanced surveillance and response capability and the ability to travel greater distances than the current Bay Class vessels. Austal has a long history with Customs and Border Protection having produced the current eight Customs and Border Protection Bay Class vessels, as well as the current Royal Australian Navy fleet of 14 Armidale Class Patrol Boats.
“ This is an important job retention and job creation opportunity for the Australian shipbuilding industry. The tender process was highly competitive showcasing the professional capability and substantial experience of the Australian shipbuilding industry ,” Minister O’Connor said. “ I wish to recognise the professional contribution of all the companies involved in the tender process, in particular Forgacs, who provided a strong bid into the parallel negotiations stage .”
The eight new vessels will be named after geographical capes in each Australian State and Territory and reflect Australia’s geographic extremities: Cape St George (ACT), Cape Byron (NSW), Cape Nelson (Victoria), Cape Sorell (Tasmania), Cape Jervis (SA), Cape Leveque (WA), Cape Wessel (NT) and Cape York (Queensland).
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Source: ministerhomeaffairs, June 13, 2011