The AUKUS agreement is a trilateral security partnership for the Indo-Pacific region between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. One outcome of the agreement will be the construction of a new submarine fleet in Osborne. Learn what this means for PAE here.
Oveview of AUKUS
In September 2021, the national governments of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States announced the creation of a trilateral security partnership called "AUKUS."
The stated purpose of the agreement is to “enhance defence and security capabilities for the AUKUS partner countries in the Indo-Pacific region”. The first initiative under AUKUS is a commitment to support Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy.
The AUKUS partners have identified an ‘Optimal Pathway’ to achieve the construction and delivery of the new submarine fleet and produce a nuclear-powered submarine capability in Australia. This includes the development of two national submarine defence facilities, one at Osborne, South Australia and the other at the Stirling Naval Base in Western Australia.
AUKUS Frequently Asked Questions
Construction and delivery of the new submarine fleet, known as SSN-AUKUS, will be built on land adjacent to the existing Osborne Naval Shipyard on the Lefevre Peninsula in South Australia.
The Osborne Naval Shipyard (formerly known as Techport) was established in 1987 following an agreement between the Australian Submarine Corporation (now ASC) with the Australian Government to build six Collins Class submarines. Since then, it has expanded significantly with the facility producing a range of major surface combatants and supporting the Royal Australian Navy shipbuilding programs as well as undertaking commercial vessel maintenance and repair activities.
The Osborne Submarine Construction Yard will be developed on land to the north and west of the existing Osborne Naval Shipyard. A new Skills and Training Academy will also be developed by the Commonwealth adjacent to the Submarine Construction Yard.
The Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) is a Commonwealth government agency set up in 2023 to acquire, construct, deliver and govern Australia’s nuclear powered submarine capability, via the AUKUS partnership. The ASA is the single point of accountability for Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine program.
The Office of AUKUS was set up by the South Australian Premier to coordinate the state’s preparations for the nuclear-powered submarine program. The state office will act as a single point of contact for Commonwealth agencies and to ensure there is across government co-ordination to deliver the AUKUS submarine program.
Australian Naval Infrastructure (ANI) took ownership of the Osborne Naval Shipyard in 2017 to support the Commonwealth’s shipbuilding program. ANI was established by the Commonwealth as a Government Business Enterprise to own, develop and manage shipbuilding infrastructure and related facilities at the Osborne Naval Shipyard.
The Government has selected ASC Pty Ltd and BAE Systems to build Australia’s SSNAUKUS submarines.
Australia’s acquisition of nuclear powered submarine (SSN) capabilities will be a complex, multi-decade undertaking.
Australia will begin building its first SSN-AUKUS in Osborne by the end of this decade, and this is expected to be delivered in the early 2040s.
To ensure there is no capability gap while SSN-AUKUS is being completed, the US intends to sell Australia three Virginia class SSNs, with the potential to sell up to two more if needed. The first Virginia class SSN is planned to be delivered to Australia in the early 2030s, once Australia has met the necessary conditions to safely operate and steward these submarines.
Enabling works began in 2023 to develop the Osborne Submarine Construction Yard on the Lefevre Peninsula at Osborne. This included above and in-ground utility relocation, construction of a new access road and other supporting infrastructure. The Australian Government plans to manufacture components at the future submarine construction yard for use by the UK and US production lines, before commencing construction of the first SSN-AUKUS.
The Osborne Naval Shipyard will continue to operate several shipbuilding construction and upgrade programs, separate to AUKUS, as has been the case since its establishment in 1987.
In November 2024, Council adopted a Decision-Making Framework for AUKUS to guide its strategic and operational input into the AUKUS development. The Framework was developed to ensure a consistent approach to any decisions that Council may have to make in relation to the AUKUS development and reflects the guiding principles, goals and role statements from Council’s City Vision 2024-34
AUKUS is a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. AUKUS is a Federal and State Government managed development . Council’s role is largely focused on deriving direct community benefit from the development and reducing any negative impacts. Council’s role includes:
Advocacy
Australia’s Commonwealth government has established a number of agencies to help implement the Australian nuclear-powered submarine construction program at Osborne. Council liaises with these agencies to represent community needs and priorities.
Development Assessment
The development of the Nuclear Powered Submarine Construction Yard at Osborne is subject to a number of approval pathways. This includes:
- Commonwealth approval under the Environment, Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), which requires the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) to undertake a Strategic Assessment to assess the impacts of the construction and operation of the Osborne Submarine Construction Yard; and,
- Development approval under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 (PDI Act), which is being processed through an Impact Assessed Development application and requires Australian Naval Infrastructure (ANI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement to assess the social, economic and environmental impacts of the project.
The Minister for Planning is the decision maker for both the EPBC Act and PDI Act assessment pathways but Council's submissions as a referral agency can be accessed below.
Council may be the relevant authority for Development Applications that fall outside the Impact Assessed Development or Essential Infrastructure processes.
Community engagement on these assessment processes is coordinated by the state and federal government.
On 24 October 2024, the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Act 2024 (ANNPS Act) was signed into law by the Governor General. The purpose of the ANNPS Act is to regulate the nuclear safety of activities relating to the AUKUS nuclear‑powered submarines. Further information on the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Bill 2024 and its passage, including its referral to a Senate Inquiry that delivered its report in April 2024, can be accessed from the Parliament of Australia website here: Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Bill 2024 – Parliament of Australia
The Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulations 2025 is the supporting legislation to the ANNPS Act that will be used to issue licences, monitor conditions and enforce conditions concerning activities associated with Australia’s Naval Nuclear Propulsion (NNP).
Council’s submission on the Draft Regulations can be accessed here: PAE submission - Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulation
The Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulator (ANNPSR) commenced operations on 1 November 2025, and is the new regulatory agency responsible for assessing and deciding licence applications for relevant NNP facilities within the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Construction Yard.
The licencing of an NNP facility is a staged process, requiring separate licence applications for each stage of the facility’s lifecycle, as shown below:
Source: ANI 2025
ANNPSR will assess licence applications with the assistance of the previous regulator, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) using the new Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulations 20205 under the ANNPS Act. ANI undertook community consultation on a licence to prepare the site for future development of an NNP facility at Osborne in November 2025.
Council’s submission on ANI’s Site Preparation Licence Application is available here: Endorsed Site Preparation Licence submission
At the Ordinary Council Meeting on 12 November 2024, the Council made a resolution to oppose the storage or disposal of radioactive waste in the AUKUS facilities at Osborne Naval Shipyard; and took the position that any applications for licencing for the management, storage or disposal of radioactive waste at the AUKUS operations at the Osborne Naval Shipyard should be subject to comprehensive community engagement.
The Mayor subsequently sent correspondence to local Federal and State Members of Parliament, and the State and Federal Defence Ministers to advise them of Council’s position on the storage of disposal of radioactive waste at Osborne.
The State Government’s Office for AUKUS is leading the development of a masterplan for the Lefevre Peninsula to support planning and investment required to deliver the new submarine construction enterprise and to ensure a coordinated approach to the future development of the region. The masterplan will include:
- Structural city shaping infrastructure (housing and transport)
- Environmental and heritage considerations, including recognition of Kaurna cultural heritage
- Urban Structure (local roads, land use planning, social infrastructure, open space and stormwater)
- Interface with significant infrastructure, including the deep sea water port, major power generation and fuel and grain storage facilities
Development and delivery of the masterplan will include community and stakeholder engagement.
ASA is the single point of contact for enquiries in relation to AUKUS:
Website: www.asa.gov.au
Phone: 1300 333 362
AUKUS: trilateral security partnership for the Indo-Pacific region between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
ASA: Australian Submarine Agency – Commonwealth agency responsible for safely and securely acquire, construct, deliver, technically govern, sustain and dispose of Australia’s conventionally-armed nuclear-powered submarine capability for Australia, via the AUKUS partnership.
ANI: Australian Naval Infrastructure – Australian Government Enterprise responsible for construction and managing the Submarine Construction Yard at Osborne.
Office of AUKUS: Set up by the South Australian Premier to coordinate the state’s preparations for the nuclear-powered submarine program and coordinate agencies across government.
SSN-AUKUS: The name of the new submarine fleet to be constructed as Osborne. An SSN is a nuclear-powered general-purpose attack submarine. SSN is the US Navy hull classification symbol for such vessels.
