Osborne Submarine Construction Yard

Overview

Australia will begin building its first SSN-AUKUS in Osborne, South Australia by the end of this decade. Construction will be supported by an expansion of the existing Osborne Naval Shipyard Area to support the facilities and infrastructure required to build the first SSN-AUKUS, referred to as the Submarine Construction Yard (SCY).

The preferred site for the SCY is situated north of the existing Osborne Naval Shipyard on the Lefevre Peninsula, approximately 19 km north of Adelaide in South Australia. Osborne will be the home of Australia’s next generation submarine build, and alongside other shipbuilding activities on the peninsula, will become one of the most advanced technological hubs in the world.

To support the planned construction and operation of the SCY, as well as the future needs of the community, preliminary enabling works have commenced to optimise access routes and traffic flows around the site. The relocation of above and below ground utilities will ensure that future developments are safe and unimpeded whilst maintaining provision of power to the Osborne Naval Shipyards and surrounds.

The Commonwealth has appointed Australian Naval Infrastructure Pty Ltd (ANI), as an Australian Government Business Enterprise to be the Australian Submarine Agency’s (ASA) design and delivery partner for the project.

Strategic Assessment

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) and ASA agreed on 24 November 2023 to undertake a Strategic Assessment of the SCY as defined under Part 10 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

The Strategic Assessment considers and assesses the impacts of the construction and operation of the SCY on protected matters as the ASA seeks to deliver conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines.

Learn more about Strategic Assessments.(Opens in a new tab/window)

Project timeline

The Strategic Assessment Agreement includes the development of:

• Terms of Reference – This document describes the assessment requirements of the Strategic Impact Assessment Report.
• Strategic Impact Assessment Report – This report assesses the impact of the activities against the assessment requirements described in the Terms of Reference.
• Strategic Assessment Plan – This plan describes the activities that will be undertaken as a part of the construction and operation of the Submarine Construction Yard.

Strategic Assessment Approval

The ASA received endorsement of the Strategic Assessment Plan for the Submarine Construction Yard on 30 January 2026, and the Approval Decision Notice allowing actions to be taken in accordance with the endorsed plan on 19 February 2026. 

Approval for undertaking all activities associated with the construction and operation of the Submarine Construction Yard has been granted under sections 134(1A) and 146B of the EPBC Act, subject to the conditions as set out in the Approval Decision Notice. 

Next Steps

The Australian Submarine Agency will implement the endorsed Strategic Assessment Plan and prepare the Assurance Plan as specified in the conditions of approval. 

South Australian Planning Assessment 

The South Australian Minister for Planning declared that an Impact Assessed development process under section 108(1)(c) of the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 will apply to the construction of the SCY.

Subsequently an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was prepared on behalf of Australian Naval Infrastructure. On the 4 December 2025, the Minister for Planning approved the development subject to conditions. 

Details can be found at Nuclear-Powered Submarine Construction Yard Project | PlanSA(Opens in a new tab/window)