In all the fuss over the nuclear subs deal announced in mid-March observers seem to have overlooked a basic point – that the deal involves building nuclear submarines from scratch in Adelaide.

Never mind the city’s long history of cost over-runs, budget blowouts and required reworks in naval contracts, or that the region doesn’t have anything like the required skills base for such an endeavour, it is decreed that Adelaide will build these complex vessels as part of the $368 billion program.