Secret files show Port Kembla is top pick for new nuclear submarine base
Documents released under freedom of information laws confirm Port Kembla is the federal government's preferred east-coast home for the AUKUS submarine fleet, with community opposition hardening in response.
Briefing papers prepared for the Department of Defence and obtained by the Illawarra Mercury describe Port Kembla as 'a suitable and operationally preferable' site for the nation's east-coast nuclear submarine base, citing harbour depth and existing industrial land.
The release follows two years of speculation and a series of public meetings in which residents, council and the South Coast Labour Council have voiced near-universal opposition to the proposal.
Five present and former Wollongong Citizens of the Year, including Aunty Barb Nicholson, Phong and Teresa Tran and Sally Stevenson, this week called on the federal government to abandon the plan and rule out Port Kembla as a host site.
A formal site decision is now expected before the end of the year, with the federal government continuing to insist that no final selection has been made.
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