Stop AUKUS WA Moves Into Motion

On Monday, 3 February 2025, just gone, supporters of Stop AUKUS WA gathered outside Walyalup Civic Centre in a show of support just after a Motion they wished to see passed at the City of Fremantle Annual General Meeting of Electors had been passed at the Meeting.

At the Electors Meeting, Leonie Lundy, the Campaign Coordinator of Stop AUKUS WA, put the following Motion, which was seconded by Adrian Glamorgan:

That Council:

1. REQUIRES the City to call a public meeting to address the need for community information and consultation about AUKUS, as identified in the Perth South West Metro Alliance’s (PSWMA) report Building Defence Social Licence in the Perth South West Region;

2. REQUESTS the meeting:

a) Includes attendance of qualified representatives from the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) and ARPANSA, and the relevant local MP or government defence spokesperson;

b) Includes panel participation of a First Nations spokesperson and representatives from Stop AUKUS WA, Nuclear Free WA (NF-WA), Medical Association for Prevention of War (MAPW) and Conservation Council of WA (CCWA);

c) Allows a substantial Q&A. Questions may be submitted in advance to ASA and ARPANSA to ensure they are answered at the event, questions also will be allowed from the floor;

d) Be moderated by an impartial member of the community, wider public or media;

e) Is widely advertised through traditional and digital media.

The Motion was passed with a good majority. Similar motions have also been passed recently at the Annual General Meetings of Electors at the Cities of Cockburn, East Fremantle and Rockingham.

In speaking in favour on the Motion, Leonie Lundy made this statement –

AUKUS was thrust on the Australian community in September 2021 by the then PM Morrison with his UK and US counterparts. There was no debate in parliament nor public consultation. After the win of the Albanese Government at the 2022 election it became bipartisan policy.

The Plan (the Optimal Pathway) for Australia to acquire nuclear propelled submarines, known as AUKUS Pillar 1, was announced in March 2023. It mapped out increased visits, rotations of US and UK nuclear propelled submarines at HMAS Stirling as of 2027; procurement of second-hand US Virginia Class submarines as a stop gap in the 2030’s; and the new SSN AUKUS submarines to be built at Osborne in SA. Details of costs (estimated at $368 billion), delivery dates and implications have been a constantly changing dynamic.

Soon after AUKUS Pillar 2 was announced involving collaboration between the three countries on emerging technologies including the very alarming AI and drone warfare.

More recently, Australia’s critical minerals have become another cog in the wheel of Australian defence and security becoming increasingly tied to the US.

How does this impact Fremantle and Cockburn Sound?
We face:
• An increased presence of US nuclear powered submarines traversing Cockburn Sound
• Stirling now a ‘designated [nuclear] zone’ (under the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Act)
• The US having unprecedented access to and joint operational management of an Australian naval base 20 kilometres from Fremantle – as it already enjoys at air bases in the North.
• A ‘temporary’ low level nuclear waste facility on Garden Island and no doubt another at the dry dock in the proposed Henderson defence precinct and the inherent concerns re worker safety, need for truthful disclosure about the level of waste, its transportation and planned location for permanent storage
• Further industrialisation of Cockburn Sound and impacts on the marine ecology: the proposed new sea channel (required by Defence as two are needed) is a monstrosity
• Defence competing with civilian industries including ship building at the Henderson Australian Marine Complex for labour
• An influx of 700 plus US submariners and their families to move to the Cockburn Sound area during the next couple of years – competing with local populations for housing, access to health and education and road space.
• Promises of jobs, jobs, jobs and big bucks for local businesses.

Questions have been taken to Defence Senate Estimates – most taken on Notice although there are numerous public servants from Defence at these Estimates Hearings with numerous files and their laptops.

Defence Estates held poorly attended Info Hubs in Cockburn, Kwinana and Rockingham last March. Defence claimed at a relevant Parliamentary Inquiry that Fremantle had also been included in these Hubs. We pointed out this was incorrect but the Chair failed to call Defence out.

Is it any wonder that AUKUS & Defence lack social licence?

Concerns and questions have also been raised during public question time at Fremantle Ordinary Council Meetings. Until last week they’ve been fobbed off citing Defence and AUKUS are a Federal Government concern – Fremantle Council has no say. There has been a disappointing absence of Council taking a proactive role in advocating for the safety and security of residents, the need for disclosure and transparency and importantly the need for community consultation on these important issues.

In reality, it didn’t require a US trip @ $14k a head paid for largely out of ratepayer funds, to reach the conclusion that Defence and AUKUS lack social licence and ascertain what measures need to be taken. The resultant report, Building Defence Social Licence in the Perth South West Region, by the Perth South West Metro Alliance (PSWMA), which includes the City’s Mayor and CEO, clearly endorses AUKUS and reads like a PR spin for Defence.

However we acknowledge the recommendation that more needs to be done to consult and inform the community about AUKUS and its impacts and that local governments are well placed to assist.

For this reason a logical next step is for the City to organise the proposed Public Meeting. It could provide an ideal platform for Defence and the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) to share information including on: current and envisaged radiation monitoring and emergency procedures in case of a radiation leak or should HMAS Stirling/Cockburn Sound be targeted in the event of conflict; envisaged start date of the new Naval Nuclear Power Safety (ANNPS) Regulator to take over from ARPANSA; details of past and current consultation with traditional owners and other groups and industries in Cockburn Sound; environmental impact assessments; justification for various measures being or not being taken including to counter the excess demand on social services, housing, roads to accommodate the US personnel influx.

Perhaps the neighbouring Council of East Fremantle could be invited to share resources and organisational responsibility, including promotion.

In the interests of community democracy, empowerment and safety I request this Motion be voted for by electors and if passed, that it be favourably considered by the Fremantle Council.

Thankyou.

Similar motions have been put on behalf of Stop AUKUS WA and passed at recent Annual General Meetings of Electors at the Cities of Cockburn and Rockingham and the Town of East Fremantle, and now at the City of Fremantle.

There is no two ways about it, the AUKUS commitments Australia has entered into continue to draw criticism from many in the Australian community, nationally and locally. In Fremantle the concerns with AUKUS are made all the more tangible with US nuclear powered Virginia class submarines regularly docking at HMAS Stirling at Garden Island, just across the Cockburn Sound from Freo. We will watch the responses of these local governments with interest in the wake of these Motions.

By Michael Barker, Editor, Fremantle Shipping News

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ If you’d like to COMMENT on this or any of our stories, don’t hesitate to email our Editor.

~ WHILE YOU’RE HERE –