PM dismisses concerns as subs site's huge cost revealed

The government hopes the project will create 10,000 jobs in design and construction as well as up to 1000 apprentices per year at an onsite training facility.

The staggering cost of the facility is laid bare by the sheer size of the footprint being designed.

Enough steel to make 17 Eiffel Towers as well as 710,000 cubic metres of structural concrete will be used in the construction of the 420 metre-long fabrication hall.

The future of AUKUS has been under a cloud for months since the US announced it would review the terms of the agreement.

But the prime minister dismissed concerns that the promised shipyard would never see an AUKUS vessel.

"This is in the interest of the United States, in the interests of the UK and in the interests of Australia," Anthony Albanese told reporters on Sunday.

The eye-watering price tag comes from an estimate provided by Australian Naval Infrastructure, the government's hand-picked company tasked with delivering the AUKUS facility.

As well as construction, the new yard will include capability for the testing and commission of the submarines.

An estimate for how long the yard will take to complete or whether the $30 billion figure will increase was not confirmed.

Defence has become a boom industry for South Australia with the country's first missile factory recently opening in Port Wakefield.

Osborne already hosts the existing facilities for Collins-class  and Hunter-class subs.

"There were 1200 people working at Holden when it closed, 4000 will be required to construct this facility," Premier Peter Malinauskas said.

"It is hard for South Australians to genuinely comprehend the amount of high-paid skilled work that has come our way."

The announcement of a decades-long infrastructure commitment comes at a good time for the premier, who is a month away from the state election.

A poll on Wednesday showed Labor holding a 61-39 lead over the Liberals on two-party-preferred.