New $1.25b ADFA accommodation would 'deter criminal activity'

The redevelopment of the Australian Defence Force Academy's Campbell accommodation is expected to cost $1.25 billion, pending approval from Federal Parliament's public works committee.

The project will be unaffected by delays to $1.4 billion in funding for Canberra Defence facilities over the next decade, announced by the federal government this week.

The Defence Force Academy is a partnership between the federal government and the University of NSW, which offers trainee officers free tertiary education.

In November 2023, the department submitted its plans to rebuild existing accommodation to the public works committee for scrutiny.

The project would include demolition of existing facilities, and the construction of 1500 bedrooms for trainee officers, offices for up to 100 supervisory staff and 1600 car parks.

Defence outlined the need to replace the existing buildings, built in the 1980s, due to the "health and psychosocial hazards" posed by its poor design.

But the committee requested further information, seeking to understand the need for the project and its huge pricetag.

Asked how the current layout of accommodation contributes to psychosocial hazards, the department said "concealment opportunities" and "limited ability for surveillance" pose risks.

The existing accommodation comprises 23 buildings, in groups of two to four, which can house up to 1104 trainee officers.

This "cluster" layout, is the crux of the problem, Defence said in supplementary documents provided to the committee by late February.

The design features concealed corridors, inadequate space in common areas (leading to trainee officers congregating in bedrooms), shared bathroom facilities, concealment opportunities and poor lighting in the precinct.

This means CCTV or other surveillance can't be installed, Defence's submission states.

"The new buildings will include spaces that are well-lit, well-organised and conducive to surveillance, which can deter criminal activity, enhance community wellbeing and increase the feeling of safety.

"The new buildings emphasise elements like proper lighting, clear sightlines, natural surveillance, and controlling access to spaces.

"The spaces have been designed to avoid dead ends and maximise visibility of all shared spaces, corridors and points of access and egress."

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Issues with the academy accommodation have been raised in several reviews, and were called out during the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, where it was described as a "breeding ground" for unacceptable behaviour.

A consultation report provided to the committee by early April shows that Defence only received feedback forms from 19 people on the project, most of which were supportive.

The documents reveal that during consultation sessions in December and January, Defence had said it was "working towards reducing [the] cost" for the project. However, it has not since revised the $1.25 billion estimate.

Lendlease has been awarded an initial contract through a direct approach, but has not yet been engaged for construction.

The documents also reveal the design life of the buildings would be 50 years.