Inquiry commissioners Leanne Minshull, Admiral Chris Barrie (Ret’d), Peter Garrett, and Karina Lester at the Canberra launch of the inquiry in June. Photo: Screenshot.
Hearings into Australia’s participation in AUKUS are set to resume next week on Australia’s east coast after a series of hearings was held in southern and western states.
The independent Public Inquiry into AUKUS was established in June to look into Australia’s commitment to buy nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS Pillar I construct with the US and UK.
The inquiry is being led by former Labor minister and Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett, and includes fellow commissioners former WA Labor premier and federal Labor minister Dr Carmen Lawrence, former Chief of Navy and Chief of Defence Force Admiral Chris Barrie (Ret’d), the co-CEO of the Australia Institute Leanne Minshull, and Yankunytjatjara woman Karina Lester.
An initiative of the Australian Peace and Security Forum, the inquiry is being partly crowdfunded, but also has the support of a number of organisations including the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network, the Australian Conservation Foundation, ICAN Australia, the Sydney Peace Foundation, and Australians for War Powers Reform.
Support for the inquiry has also come from several labour organisations including the Maritime Union of Australia, the Electrical Trades Union, the Australian Education Union, and the South Coast Labour Council.
After an initial introductory hearing in Canberra on 3 June, the inquiry moved to Melbourne on 11 June, Fremantle on 29 June, and Adelaide on 16 July. A virtual Q&A was also held on 3 August.
On Monday (10 August) the inquiry will move to NSW Parliament House on Macquarie Street in Sydney, and will be followed by a hearing at Newcastle City Hall at 290 King Street in Newcastle on Tuesday.
The BlueScope Gallery in Wollongong will host a hearing on Wednesday, and then a two-day event will be held on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 September at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture (ACCC) at 15 Blackall St in Barton, ACT.
The inquiry has so far heard from prominent Australians, many with informed insights into the AUKUS Pillar I construct which plans to see Australia acquire between three and five Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US from 2032, and then up to eight SSN-AUKUS-class nuclear-powered submarines to be built at Osborne in Adelaide for delivery in the 2040s.
Debate has centred around whether Australia needs nuclear-powered submarines at a projected cost of $368 billion, compared to the much cheaper option of conventional diesel-electric powered boats.
There is also concern in east and west coast communities about the basing locations of nuclear-powered submarines – particularly in the Illawarra – as well as where nuclear waste will be stored.
“Both Wollongong/Port Kembla and Newcastle are in the frame for hosting submarine bases for AUKUS,” Mr Garrett said in a statement.
“As we heard from former Defence Minister Linda Reynolds at the Perth hearings, this will likely make these great cities future military targets. We encourage citizens in all three cities to register to attend the hearings and hear the evidence for themselves.”
The inquiry is taking submissions from the public and subject matter experts and, to date, more than 500 written submissions have been received.
