Stirling
Licences for the Controlled Industrial Facility (CIF) have now been harmonised into the ANNPS Regulatory Framework
Under the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety (Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023, the Naval Nuclear Propulsion activity within the ARPANSA licences transitioned to ANNPSR on 1 November 2025.
The licences have now been varied and combined into a single ANNPSR licence.
Under the ANNPS regulatory framework, wherever possible, regulated activities within a designated zone will be grouped under a single licence to maintain continuity and integrity of safety control within that zone.
The scope of regulated activity for the CIF, which was part of the public consultation led by ARPANSA, has not changed with the variation of the licences into ANNPS regulatory framework. The key difference is that ANNPSR will proceed to regulate NNP activity under a single Licence.
The ANNPS Licence permits very limited material activity to support some pre-operational staging and safety assurance whilst the CIF is under construction with strict activity limits. ANNPSR will only issue a licence to operate an NNP facility when suitable plans and arrangements to ensure nuclear safety are in place.
The ASA’s application for the next phase of the CIF will be submitted directly to ANNPSR. Under the ANNPS regulatory framework, the licence applicant must satisfy the Regulator that meaningful consultation has been undertaken with all relevant stakeholders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the public about the proposed facility.
As part of the overall licence assessment, the Regulator will evaluate the effectiveness of the public consultation activities.
Licence Transition
Prior to the introduction of the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulator (ANNPSR), the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) undertook a thorough independent review and assessment, including public consultation, of the Australian Submarine Agency’s (ASA) licence application to construct the Controlled Industrial Facility (CIF), on Garden Island, Rockingham, WA.
On 20th October 2025, ARPANSA publicly announced it had approved the licence application and issued a licence for this second stage of the licencing process – to construct the facility.
The CIF will be constructed at the existing HMAS Stirling Navy Base, on Garden Island, Rockingham, WA and provide low-level waste management and maintenance services to support the Submarine Rotational Force – West program that commences in 2027.
For the CIF construction licence application, 93 public submissions were received and considered by ARPANSA. A summary of the submission themes and responses and access to more information about the ARPANSA assessment of the public submissions and the licence application are available here: Construction licence approved for ASA’s Controlled Industrial Facility | ARPANSA
Under the ANNPSR regulatory framework, wherever possible, regulated activities within a designated zone will be grouped under a single licence to maintain the continuity and integrity of safety control within that zone.
The Naval Nuclear Propulsion activity in ARPANSA licences are intended to be combined into a single licence shortly after 1 November 2025.
ASA’s application for the next phase of the facility activity will be submitted directly to ANNPSR. ANNPSR will continue to work with ARPANSA to support the smooth transition of regulatory responsibility.
