Health and workplace issues will dominate Labor’s national conference in Adelaide on Friday, as extra funding is unveiled for nuclear submarine construction.

Day two of the triennial policy forum will focus on aged care, the NDIS and health care issues.

Policies focusing on women, Indigenous Australians, along with employment and workplace relations will also get an airing.

But contentious issues are not expected to feature on the floor of the conference, with most of the bargaining happening behind the scenes.

Labor figures Chris Bowen, Paul Erickson and Murray Watt. Photo: AAP

It comes as expected debate on day one about a tax on gas exports, which had been at the centre of a viral campaign, failed to materialise in amendments.

While Labor’s conference determines the direction of the party and its policy stance, it is up to its parliamentary team to determine how, and when, the measures are implemented.

The visit to South Australia for the three-day conference coincides with an extra $4.6 billion being unveiled for the nuclear submarine construction yard at Osborne, north of Adelaide.

The construction yard will build the nuclear-powered vessels as part of the $368 billion AUKUS agreement with the US and Britain.

The additional funding will bring the spend on the construction yard to $8.5 billion, with the funding going towards building and development activities at the site.

The project is expected to create 10,000 jobs in South Australia, with 1100 people already working on the project.

PM Anthony Albanese and Defence Minister Richard Marles have revealed more funding for AUKUS. Photo: AAP

Defence Minister Richard Marles said the funding would allow for construction to ramp up significantly.

“This investment is another important step in building the sovereign capability Australia will need to build, operate, maintain and sustain our future submarine fleet,” he said.

“The work under way right now at Osborne demonstrates that AUKUS is on track and happening now, all while creating opportunities for Australian industry and workers for decades to come.”

Under AUKUS, Australia will buy used nuclear submarines from the US, before locally built vessels are brought online.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese discussed AUKUS with newly-elected British counterpart Andy Burnham during a call on Thursday to congratulate him on his appointment and invite him to visit Australia.

Federal ministers during Albanese’s speech at the Labor convention on Thursday. Photo: AAP

AUKUS remains a contentious issues among delegates at the conference with rank and file members passing motions in local branches calling for the government to scrap the deal.

Albanese used his keynote address on Thursday to urge members to make meaningful change to help counter the growing popularity of One Nation.

Pauline Hanson’s party has been rising in the polls, and recently overtook Labor on a primary vote in some opinion surveys.

Burnham’s AUKUS pledge

Burnham has promised Albanese counterpart an “unwavering commitment” to the AUKUS submarine program.

Giving a readout of Burnham’s phone call with Albanese, a Downing Street spokesperson said the pact “embodied [Burnham’s] vision for the UK, delivering change in communities, like AUKUS was doing in Barrow, through reindustrialisation and long-term investment”.

The two leaders “also discussed online safety and the importance of social media bans to safeguard children”, the readout said.

Elsewhere in the call, the pair “talked about their shared love of watching rugby league and [Burnham] said he would love to see the return of the Kangaroos to play in the UK”.

“Both leaders also agreed to become supporters of each other’s home-supporting teams, rugby league’s South Sydney Rabbitohs and Everton,” the Downing Street spokesperson said.

—AAP