A dedicated South Australian taskforce for the Nuclear-powered Submarine Program established in early February 2022 has been publicly announced.

The South Australia Government Submarine Taskforce will support the Nuclear-powered Submarine Taskforce established in the Department of Defence to deliver an optimal pathway for the submarine program keeping local industry capability at the forefront.

The taskforce, chaired by Defence SA, will work closely with state government agencies, local industry and local government representatives to discuss key focus areas including safety, environmental protection, facilities and infrastructure, industrial base capacity and workforce.

A process will also be undertaken to engage members across the public and private sectors with expertise in a range of necessary fields.

This news follows the September 2021 announcement of the intent to construct at least eight new nuclear-powered submarines at the world-class Osborne Naval Shipyard, as part of the enhanced AUKUS security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.