On March 7, 2022, Australian Prime Minister Morrison, declared Brisbane, Newcastle and Port Kembla as potential sites for an East Coast Australian Nuclear Submarine Base. In a Submarine Matters article of February 15, 2022 I wrote “Australian Nuclear Subs: East Coast Basing Study”
I pointed out "A major issue connected to Australia’s nuclear propelled submarine decision is where, on the East Coast, might Australian and perhaps UK and US SSNs be forward based or regularly visit?"
My article heavily leaned on the Australian Department of Defence's Future Submarine "FSM BASING STUDY" written by Commander D.L. Stevens RANR, dated 15 December 2011. As that partly redacted/blanked out document is 348 pages long I highlighted just the nuclear bits. The document had been removed from most places on the web. However "Rossler" kindly rediscovered the document (about 100 MB PDF) on the "Wayback Machine" at https://web.archive.org/web/20210804160533/https://www.defence.gov.au/FOI/Docs/Disclosures/373_1718_Documents.pdf
I commented "Most of the document concerns the many social, environmental, and other factors concerned with building an East Coast Naval Base outside of the present one in Sydney Harbour. Alternative locations are discussed, with the message a base requires a large city to support its many needs."
Two major extracts from the study include:
[Paragraph] "59 For each of the homeport prospects considered in this study, key assessment criteria determined from stakeholder interviews are: "...Visiting Nuclear Propelled Submarines (NPS) – is the port accredited already for visiting nuclear powered warships or submarines, or does it have potential to acquire that accreditation?"
[Paragraph] "282 Brisbane is the most northern capital city on the Australian East Coast, and the only one approved to place visiting [Nuclear Propelled Submarines and Warships] NPW at wharves."
I concluded concerning “Australia's Fleet Base East [in] Sydney Harbour. I know of no nuclear propelled subs or surface ships that have actually entered the harbour. There appears to be pre-existing public and political resistance to that prospect. Hence possible, long-term, contemplation of alternative basing. Nuclear aside, the base looks quite crowded in Australia's largest city and busy harbour.”