AUKUS + Henderson: why Perth is set for a defence-led growth cycle

Perth is on the cusp of a multi-decade defence build-out. Canberra has locked in a strategic shipbuilding deal with Austal at Henderson; the Commonwealth and WA are consolidating the Henderson Defence Precinct; and HMAS Stirling is being expanded to support AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines, together pointing to thousands of high-skill jobs and steady work for WA supply chains. Near-term volatility (e.g., OPV changes) aside, the pipeline skews toward continuous naval shipbuilding, sustainment and training.

Opportunities: metals & fabrication, marine/civil construction, specialty materials, digital/cyber, testing & certification, workforce training, autonomy & sensors, and facilities sustainment.

What we’re watching: program timelines, workforce capacity, port interface planning at Cockburn Sound, and foreign-investment settings.

Fitzgerald Equity is helping to align capabilities to Tier-2/3 work packages, landing craft modules, GP frigate sub, assemblies, AUKUS sustainment fixtures, and partnering with primes/OEMs. If you’re building WA defence capability, let’s talk.

Read: Fitzgerald Equity — WA Defence Pipeline Report

Fitzgerald_Equity_WA_Defence_Pipeline_Report.pdf

Download PDF • 156KB

Sources: official Commonwealth/WA releases and recent industry reporting.