PORT KEMBLA — The South Coast Labour Council warned last Friday that political fallout would result if federal and state politicians proceeded with surrendering Port Kembla to the US Navy as a base for nuclear submarines under the Aukus agreement. The warning came as documents prepared by the former New South Wales Liberal government, which named Port Kembla as the preferred east coast base for Australia's proposed nuclear submarine base, were tabled in the New South Wales state parliament.

The documents warned the proposed base could make the area a target for Australian military adversaries. Port Kembla is 75km south of Sydney.

"The secret report also tells the government that what they really need to worry about is the political fallout. They got that right," said Arthur Rorris, secretary of the South Coast Labour Council.

Rorris said there are schools within walking distance of the proposed base and that the project would have notable effects on health services, roads and house prices. "The admission by the government's own reports that our transport, health, security, industrial land capacity and housing will all suffer tells you why the government kept it secret from our people," he said. He also said it was becoming clearer that there would be no Australian nuclear submarines and that Port Kembla would be a base for US submarines that Australia would fund.

In March 2022 the Coalition government announced it intended to build an east coast submarine base to station the new nuclear-powered submarines promised under the Aukus agreement. Port Kembla was shortlisted as a potential submarine base alongside Brisbane and Newcastle. After the Albanese government's 2023 defence strategic review, Labor said a decision on an east coast base would be made towards the end of the decade.

Opposition to the proposal has continued to build in the Illawarra region. In 2023, 4,000 residents marched from Wollongong to Port Kembla to protest against an Aukus base. In September more than 40 organisations signed the Port Kembla declaration, insisting their community should not be the site of a nuclear submarine base.