Delegations from Barrow and Plymouth have travelled to South and Western Australia to launch a new AUKUS community partnership.
The visit is designed to support the AUKUS partnership, a trilateral security collaboration between Australia, the UK and the US which is delivering conventially-armed nuclear-powered submarines for the Australian fleet.
The partnership initiative aims to strengthen UK-Australia collaboration and start the process of building community links that will help deliver the workforce, skills, and economic links needed to deliver the AUKUS programme.
The Barrow delegation was led by MP Michelle Scrogham, who was joined by representatives from Cumbria including shipyard apprentices and Jim Perks, Team Barrow’s operations director, and coincides with the arrival at HMAS Stirling of HMS Anson, an Astute‑class nuclear‑powered submarine as part of a month‑long deployment.
“I want to improve collaboration and build economic and community links with the communities in Osborne, Australia where they will build Australia’s AUKUS boats, and Perth where they will maintain them in future years,” the MP said.
“This defence partnership with Australia is one of the reasons why the future for our area holds so much promise.
“This Government is full-steam behind AUKUS and full-steam behind our communities with a £220m transformation fund that we need to use to keep attracting investment.”
The week‑long itinerary included meetings in Adelaide and Perth, visits to education and training institutions, discussions with defence industry and community leaders, and engagement with cultural organisations.
