Defence Fleets Are Already Washing Differently
Recent Defence wash-down projects in Australia and New Zealand
4 months
To deliver the Army’s relocatable wash point trial at Mount Stuart, against upwards of two years for a fixed wash point
18 into 1
Vehicle and equipment wash-down stations consolidated into one facility at Enoggera, Brisbane
80,000 L/h
Wash water recycling capacity of the Enoggera system, which eliminated potable water use for wash-down
Up to 90%
Of treated wash water recycled at New Zealand’s Waiouru Military Camp
Sources: Department of Defence news, 23 January 2026; MAK Water project summary; New Zealand Defence Force Army News, 8 June 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Relocatable wash bays can follow exercises, depot changes and lease ends. Fixed concrete bays can’t.
- Off-site manufacture and bolt-down installation cut contractor time on restricted sites.
- Ask early whether your contract requires the supplier to hold DISP membership.
- Commonwealth land, state EPA rules and trade waste approval may all apply, depending on who you are and where the bay drains.
- Size sediment traps and oil water separators for peak flow, and plan for rain at design stage.
- The documentation package matters as much as the steel. Know who prepares it before you sign.
On This Page
- Why government fleets need wash bays that can move
- Security on restricted sites
- Environmental obligations
- Biosecurity wash-down after exercises
- Oil, fuel and sediment treatment
- Recycling wash water at large depots
- Relocatable vs fixed: time and cost
- Load ratings for mixed fleets
- Documentation approvers ask for
- Frequently asked questions
Why Defence and Government Fleets Need Wash Bays That Can Move
Government fleets don’t sit still. Exercises relocate, council depots consolidate, and leases end. A fixed concrete wash bay can’t follow any of that.
Case in Point: The Army’s Mount Stuart Trial
On 10 December 2025, the Army opened a trial relocatable vehicle wash point at Mount Stuart Training Area in Queensland. Vehicles coming off exercise drive through five stages of high-pressure rinse, and the unit includes water recycling and sediment filtration.
According to the Army Estate Capability Program, it was delivered in four months at a fraction of the cost of fixed wash points, which can take upwards of two years to design and build. Its modular design also means it can be scaled up and moved to suit exercise priorities.
It turns the usual thinking on its head. For a lot of government fleets, the permanent option is now the slower and riskier one.
Two Rulebooks, One Wash Bay
Environmental Standards
- Wastewater containment and treatment
- Oil, fuel and grease separation
- Sediment capture
- Biosecurity wash-down of soil, seeds and pests
- Stormwater and trade waste conditions
Site Security Rules
- Who can work on the base, and with what escort
- What gets built, and what comes through the gate
- How long contractors stay on site
- Supplier security requirements such as DISP
- How drawings and layouts are stored and shared
Security Considerations for Wash Infrastructure on Restricted Sites
Every day a contractor spends on a restricted site means escorts, passes and disruption. A modular wash bay that’s manufactured off-site and bolted together on an existing hardstand cuts that time down sharply.
| Security consideration | Why it matters | How a modular wash bay helps |
|---|---|---|
| Contractor time on site | Each day means escorts, passes and disruption | Built off-site, bolted together on an existing hardstand |
| Excavation | Needs service clearances, and unexploded ordnance can be a known hazard on training areas | Above-ground design means no digging |
| What comes through the gate | Security teams review deliveries and equipment | Prefabricated, standard components mean fewer surprises |
| Design information | Drawings and site layouts can be sensitive | Agree upfront how the supplier stores and shares them |
The Defence Industry Security Program (DISP)
Depending on the contract, Defence suppliers may need DISP membership, so ask early whether your supplier can meet that requirement. Under Defence’s eligibility rules, membership is mandatory for businesses that:
- Work on PROTECTED or higher classified information or assets, unless only inside Defence facilities or on Defence networks
- Supply, maintain, store or transport weapons or explosive ordnance
- Provide security services for Defence bases or facilities
- Are required to hold it as a condition of a Defence contract
DISP Membership Levels
| Level | Aligned classification |
|---|---|
| Entry level | OFFICIAL and OFFICIAL: Sensitive |
| Level 1 | PROTECTED |
| Level 2 | SECRET |
| Level 3 | TOP SECRET |
The Four DISP Security Domains
- Governance: a Chief Security Officer and Security Officer accountable for security
- Personnel: staff and contractor screening to AS 4811:2022
- Physical: protection of people, property and assets
- ICT and cyber: systems used with Defence must meet the ASD Essential Eight at Maturity Level 2
Summary based on Defence’s published DISP eligibility guidance. Always confirm requirements against your specific contract.
Environmental Obligations for Government Fleet Wash-Down
Wash water from a fleet bay carries oil, fuel, grease, detergent and sediment. The rules depend on where you are and who you are.
| Who you are | Main framework | What it means for a wash bay |
|---|---|---|
| Defence or another Commonwealth agency, or any activity on Commonwealth land | Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 | Actions likely to have a significant impact on the environment on Commonwealth land need approval, and uncertain cases should be referred |
| Councils and state agencies | Your state’s environment protection laws, administered by the state EPA | Wash water must not pollute stormwater, soil or waterways |
| Any bay draining to sewer | Trade waste approval from the local water authority or council | Discharge must meet the authority’s conditions, often including pre-treatment |
Rain Is the Issue That Catches Most Depots Out
An unroofed bay in the wet season can send far more water to the separator than it was sized for, and many utilities require wash areas draining to sewer to be roofed or bunded so stormwater stays out. Decide these options at design stage, not after the first storm:
- Bunding to contain wash water on the pad
- First-flush capture to hold the most contaminated runoff
- Stormwater diversion valves to separate clean rainwater from wash water
- A roof where the trade waste authority requires it
Biosecurity Wash-Down for Vehicles Coming Off Exercise
Vehicles move soil, seeds and pests between regions faster than almost anything else. The Mount Stuart wash point was sited specifically to reduce the biosecurity risk from yellow crazy ants, an invasive species that threatens native wildlife.
State laws add their own duties. Queensland’s Biosecurity Act 2014, for example, places a general biosecurity obligation on anyone whose activities could spread a pest, and the Queensland Government lists cleaning vehicles and equipment as one of the practical steps. Not complying is an offence.
In New Zealand, the Waiouru Military Camp wash system goes a step further, using a disinfectant to target Lake Snow, an invasive microscopic alga found in its training area.
Where Soil and Seeds Hide
- Underbody and chassis rails
- Wheel arches
- Tracks and running gear
- Radiators and grilles
- Anywhere mud packs in
What the Wash Bay Needs
- High-pressure spray access from below
- A load rating for the heaviest vehicle in the convoy
- Sediment capture so soil and seeds don’t leave in the water
- Enough length and width for trucks, trailers and plant
Managing Oil, Fuel and Sediment From Military and Council Vehicles
Sediment needs to come out before oil can be treated properly. A sediment trap or settling stage protects the separator, then an oil water separator handles hydrocarbons.
1. Sediment Stage
A sediment trap or settling stage removes grit, mud and solids first.
2. Oil Water Separator
Coalescing technology separates oil, fuel and grease from the water.
3. Discharge or Reuse
Treated water goes to sewer under trade waste approval, or back to the wash.
WashBay HQ Above-Ground Oil Water Separators
| Model flow rate | Technology | Designed discharge |
|---|---|---|
| 1,500 L/h | Vertical tube coalescing (VTC) | Under 10 mg/L TPH, no visible oil sheen |
| 3,000 L/h | Vertical tube coalescing (VTC) | Under 10 mg/L TPH, no visible oil sheen |
| 6,000 L/h | Vertical tube coalescing (VTC) | Under 10 mg/L TPH, no visible oil sheen |
The key is sizing to peak flow, not average, because a separator that’s overloaded on a busy morning won’t meet limits.
What Different Fleets Bring to the Pad
| Vehicle type | What it carries | Where treatment works hardest |
|---|---|---|
| Garbage compactors | Organic waste, grit and oil | Sediment stage |
| Street sweepers | Grit and fine sediment | Sediment stage |
| Road maintenance trucks | Bitumen residue, grit and oil | Sediment stage and separator |
| Defence vehicles off exercise | Mud, soil, seeds, fuel and grease | Sediment stage, separator and biosecurity controls |
Quick-break detergents matter. Some cleaning products hold oil in emulsion and let it slip straight through the separator.
Recycling Wash Water to Cut Town Water Use at Large Depots
Large depots can wash dozens of heavy vehicles a day. Using potable water for that is expensive and, in dry years, hard to justify. Recycling changes the maths, as two Defence projects show.
Enoggera, Brisbane (Australia)
- 18 wash-down stations consolidated into one facility
- Recycling system rated at up to 80,000 L/h
- Treated rainwater from the hardstand used for top-up
- Water filtered and disinfected for safe reuse
- Result reported by the contractor: no potable town water used for vehicle wash-down
Waiouru Military Camp (New Zealand)
- Peak wash water demand over 600 m³ a day
- 300 m³ settlement tank with flocculant dosing
- Up to 90% of treated wash water recycled
- Site split into clean and dirty catchments
- Disinfection targets an invasive alga from the training area
Recycled water still needs treatment to stay usable. That typically means settling, filtration and disinfection to control odour and bacteria, so budget for ongoing maintenance as well as the equipment. Not every depot needs a system that size. WashBay HQ water recycling modules can be paired with a modular wash bay where the numbers stack up.
Consolidating Multiple Wash Points Into One Facility
One well-designed facility is often easier to keep compliant than six informal hose points.
| Factor | Several informal hose points | One consolidated facility |
|---|---|---|
| Trade waste approvals | One per discharge point | One to manage |
| Maintenance | Separate schedules and equipment | One schedule |
| Records | Scattered across sites | One set |
| Travel and queuing | Wash close to where vehicles park | Longer trips and possible queues |
The trade-off is travel time and queuing, so plan bay width, length and throughput for peak demand, not the average day.
Relocatable vs Fixed Wash Infrastructure: Time and Cost Compared
| Factor | Fixed in-ground wash bay | Relocatable modular wash bay |
|---|---|---|
| Typical lead time | 12 to 20 weeks for excavated concrete (WashBay HQ estimate) | 2 to 4 weeks for standard WashBay HQ configurations |
| Civil works | Excavation, slab and trenching | None, bolts down on existing hardstand |
| Moving sites | Stays with the property | Dismantled and reinstalled |
| Security impact | Longer contractor presence on site | Shorter install window |
| Defence example | Fixed wash points can take upwards of two years | Mount Stuart trial delivered in four months |
Typical Lead Times (Weeks)
WashBay HQ estimates. Upper end of each range shown.
| Standard modular wash bay | 2 to 4 |
| Custom build with integrated water treatment | 4 to 8 |
| Fixed in-ground concrete bay | 12 to 20 |
Defence’s Own Comparison
4 months to deliver the relocatable Mount Stuart trial
2+ years to design and build a fixed wash point
Source: Army Estate Capability Program, via Defence news, January 2026.
Load Ratings for Mixed Fleets, From Light Vehicles to Heavy Plant
Government fleets are rarely uniform. One depot might wash utes, rigid trucks, graders and prime movers. Defence adds heavy logistics trucks and armoured vehicles.
Rough Guide to Load Per Axle
| Cars and utes | 2 t |
| Heavy rigid trucks | 12 t |
| Mining-class plant (from) | 30 t |
| Mining-class plant (up to) | Over 100 t |
WashBay HQ Wash Bay Specs
- 1 t to over 100 t per axle
- Widths of 3.0 m, 6.0 m and 9.0 m
- Lengths in 2.4 m increments
- Hot-dip galvanised structural steel to AS/NZS 4680
- 100% Australian made
Tracked vehicles load a deck differently to wheeled ones, so give your supplier the specifications of your heaviest and most unusual vehicles.
The Documentation Procurement and Approval Teams Ask For
Procurement officers, base engineers and trade waste officers all want paperwork, and the question is always who prepares it. A complete package should include:
| Document | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Engineer-signed design drawings and specifications | What is being built, and how |
| Structural certification | Such as a Form 15 compliance certificate in Queensland, or your state’s equivalent |
| Galvanising certification | Steel coated to AS/NZS 4680 |
| Oil water separator specifications | Flow rates and performance data |
| Trade waste supporting information | What the water authority or council needs to assess the application |
| Load rating confirmation | The deck suits your heaviest vehicles |
| Operating and maintenance manuals | Service intervals and procedures after handover |
WashBay HQ supplies Form 15 certificates, engineering documentation and drawings, and helps with trade waste agreements as part of each project.
What to Look For in a Wash Bay Supplier for Government Projects
Value for money under government procurement rules isn’t the same as the cheapest quote. Look for a supplier who:
- Manufactures in Australia, so lead times aren’t hostage to shipping and parts are available locally
- Has in-house engineering, so changes don’t stall waiting on a third party
- Understands trade waste, EPA and council requirements across states
- Provides ongoing maintenance support after handover
- Can price a compliant solution quickly when a tender or capital request lands on your desk
- Can meet security requirements such as DISP, where your contract requires it
From First Conversation to Approved Design
1. Discovery Call
We talk through your fleet, the sites involved, access rules, and who needs to sign off.
2. Proposal
You get a priced proposal within 24 hours, ready for a capital request or tender response.
3. Design & Approval
Engineers prepare the drawings, certificates and specifications your approvers will ask for.
