Headquarters Joint Operations Command (Australia)

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The Australian Headquarters Joint Operations Command (HQJOC) was formed from HQAST (Headquarters Australian Theatre) in 2004 to reflect the changing internal structure of the Australian Defence Forces (ADF) and the desire to provide a co-located Joint Headquarters.

1 HQAST - Headquarters Australian Theatre
2 HQJOC(T) - Transitional Headquarters
3 HQJOC(B) - Co-located Joint Headquarters (Bungendore)
4 2007 changes in Command Arrangements
5 References
6 See also

[edit] HQAST - Headquarters Australian Theatre

Prior to 2004, HQAST was located at Potts Point in Sydney, MHQ (Maritime Headquarters) at Garden Island (adjacent to Potts Point), LHQ (Land Headquarters) at Victoria Barracks, Sydney in the suburb of Paddington, and HQAC (Headquarters Air Command) at RAAF Glenbrook at the foot of the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. The senior military commanders, in particular, the CDF, VCDF, and the component commanders, (CN, CA, CAF), are located in Russell Offices in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.

[edit] HQJOC(T) - Transitional Headquarters

In the interim period between relocation from Potts Point and other sites to the co-located Joint HQ at Bungendore (referred to as "HQJOC(B)"), there is a transitional arrangement called "HQJOC(T)". Under this arrangement, the 5 branches of HQJOC are in 5 locations: Operations branch are at Potts Point; Planning branch are at Fairbairn, Canberra, and the other branches are in various parts of Russell Offices.

[edit] HQJOC(B) - Co-located Joint Headquarters (Bungendore)

[edit] Site

It was decided that there will be one co-located Joint Headquarters^[1]^[2]^[3] about halfway between Queanbeyan and Bungendore (both in New South Wales to the east of Canberra.

HQJOC(B) is located in the Molonglo River valley, about 25km east of Canberra city, 15km east of Queanbeyan and 15km SSW of Bungendore, on the south side of the railway line that marks the border between New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory; access to the site is from the Kings Highway in the north-east of the ACT (locality: Kowen) via a road which goes under the railway line.^[4] A secondary entrance road will join the road from the Kings Highway to Captains Flat. The site is about 4km north-west from the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope.

[edit] Physical arrangement

The two-storey main Headquarters building will be inside two security fences, one each at 100m and 500m from the building.^[4]

[edit] Financial arrangement

On 30 June 2006 Defence and Praeco Pty Ltd - a consortium comprising Leighton Contractors Pty Limited and ABN AMRO Australia Limited - finalised the contract for the construction and operation of the new Headquarters. The contract covers the capital cost of the buildings and infrastructure for the facility, and the cost of providing a range of contracted services such as access control, cleaning, administrative support, waste removal and maintenance services over the 30-year contract term. Defence will pay Praeco an Annual Service Payment, commencing when the facility is completed in July 2008; the first full-year payment will be AU$39.99 million, commencing in 2009-10. The whole-of-life nett present cost to Defence for the provision by Praeco of the buildings, infrastructure and services over the 30 year term is AU$572.2 million (all dollar amounts are expressed in 2006-07 prices, less GST). Praeco commenced construction in November 2006 with completion scheduled for July 2008.^[5]

[edit] 2007 changes in Command Arrangements

Until September 2007, VCDF also had the dual role of CJOPS. In September 2007, the Minister of Defence announced that a new separate 3-star position had been created for CJOPS.^[6] Henceforth, VCDF will concentrate on strategic matters.^[7]