Premier Supports Adi For Navy Bid
Newcastle Herald
Saturday August 3, 2002
PREMIER Bob Carr promised yesterday State Government support for minehunter builder ADI in its bid to win the Navy's $700million patrol boat contract.
Visiting ADI's Carrington facility, Mr Carr said company had `something special' to offer, and deserved to beat two West Australian companies also bidding.
Mr Carr said the 15-boat contract would provide 500 direct jobs for Newcastle, with flow-on employment for 2000 more people.
The Premier promised to support the bid financially, but declined to be drawn on how much help the State would give or what kind.
The WA Government has been pushing hard for its two bidders, Tenix and Austal, but Mr Carr declined to comment on WA's plans.
`That's for them to do, but I can say that I will be uninhibited about putting forward the strengths of the NSW case, based on ADI's brilliant delivery ? on time and on budget ? of the minehunters,' Mr Carr said.
WA Government advertisements in defence magazines highlight the Govern-
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Carr pledges support for ADI in Navy bid
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ment's $200million heavy engineering project at Jervoise Bay, which has attracted $80million in federal funding.
The two WA shipbuilders will offer metal hulls, but the ADI bid is based on a fibreglass and foam `composite sandwich' hull design used by the Danish Navy.
ADI carried out `drop tests' for the Premier yesterday, in which a 20kg pointed weight was dropped six metres on to three hull materials ? steel, aluminium and composite.
The weights cut through the metal, but not the composite.
An ADI spokesman said the final bid would be lodged in October, with the Department of Defence expected to announce the winner in March. Editorial, Page 24
© 2002 Newcastle Herald