Huntington Ingalls targets Rockingham as defence shipbuilding transforms town
Huntington Ingalls Industries is establishing major defence shipbuilding operations at Rockingham, needing about 10,000 workers and hosting US submarines from 2027.
Rockingham is becoming the southern hemisphere's biggest naval centre, and American military shipbuilding giant Huntington Ingalls Industries has the seaside town in its sights. The company will build ships and maintain Australia's future nuclear-powered submarine fleet under the AUKUS agreement.
Two massive defence projects are driving the transformation. The first maintains Australia's new submarine fleet.
The second constructs eight of eleven new general-purpose frigates. An estimated 10,000 workers are needed across these programs, with about 3000 jobs from Austal's shipbuilding contracts.
Rockingham's population is already growing over 5000 people per year. The town is forecast to expand from 140,000 residents in 2021 to 230,000 by 2046.
From 2027 onwards, roughly 1200 US personnel will arrive to support one British and up to four US nuclear submarines at HMAS Stirling, with more expected by 2030. Property vacancy sits at around 0.5 per cent, and median house prices have grown about 75 per cent in under three years.
- 10,000
- Workers needed
- 3,000
- Austal jobs
- 5,000 per year
- Population growth rate
- 75 per cent in three years
- House price growth
Why it mattersThe AUKUS commitment guarantees 30 years of defence industry employment for the region, but Rockingham urgently needs housing, transport and infrastructure to absorb the influx.
AustraliaRockingham and Western Australia face a population and infrastructure boom requiring major investment in housing and services to support a guaranteed 30-year defence industry expansion.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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