Port Kembla and Bass Point were considered and dismissed by the Navy's comprehensive assessment for a new submarine base as far back as 2011.
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Port Kembla was "small and congested with little space for substantial expansion", the Defence Department's FSM Basing Study (Future Submarines) written by RAN Commander D.L. Stevens concluded.
The study was obtained by Senator Rex Patrick through Freedom of Information and made publicly available.
It shows Port Kembla is a relatively recent addition to the list of possibilities, while the top options, both in Sydney harbour, have been removed from the reckoning.
"There are efforts underway to increase the diversity of products shipped from Port Kembla, with development of a grain shipping capability forecast, further reinforcing the unavailability of land or wharf access within the port environment for naval use," Cmdr Stevens found.
"It would be impractical therefore to develop an FSM basing capability at Port Kembla."
Since then waterfront real estate has become more congested at Port Kembla, with a bulk liquids terminal established, a Cement Australia plant built near No.6 Jetty, plans for a gas-hydrogen power station advanced by Andrew Forrest's Squadron Energy, and proposals for an ethanol storage facility and a bitumen distribution plant.
Defence, however, told Australian Community Media last week that "changes in commercial activity" had opened up a "large pocket" of suitable land.
The Mercury has asked Defence for more clarity about how space is now available given the expansion of industrial land use at Port Kembla.
The Commonwealth Government has announced a shortlist of Newcastle, Brisbane and Port Kembla for a nuclear submarine base.
Beaky Cove, on the north side of Bass Point, was identified in 2011 as one of the best locations on the east coast for a "fully enclosed set of submarine berths" within reasonable distance to Sydney and fleet operating areas.
An earlier report from 1988 found the proximity to the Bass Point quarry would make building the base cheaper as rocks for the necessary breakwaters could be dug out nearby. But the quarry's use of explosives ruled this location out, as it would need an explosives safety zone.
In the 2011 report, Bass Point raised concerns about its exposure to the sea, but not for marine life.
"It does not support any marine vegetation or fish species of significance because of its exposure to sea and weather," Cmdr Stevens wrote.
It was found to be too remote from other Defence bases, and requiring too great capital works to shelter the site from the sea.
Port Kembla was one of three ports near Sydney which were considered then dismissed as having insufficient merit to consider in depth. It was not part of the detailed assessment undertaken by Cmdr Stevens, who compared Brisbane, Newcastle, HMAS Cerberus in Victoria, HMAS Creswell in Jervis Bay, and three sites in Sydney Harbour - Cockatoo Island, Fleet Base East (HMAS Kuttabul) and HMAS Waterhen.
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Ben Langford
Senior journalist writing on the environment. Opinion columnist, independent. We rely on your news tips so please, don't be shy to let us know what's going on.
Senior journalist writing on the environment. Opinion columnist, independent. We rely on your news tips so please, don't be shy to let us know what's going on.
