The Suez-Singapore distance helped set the roughly 5,500-nautical-mile endurance of several Royal Navy destroyer classes. Sydney instead required about 10,000 nautical miles, more refueling stops, and earlier investment in fast oilers. County-class cruisers and later destroyers would need greater fuel capacity and efficiency, likely pushing Britain toward high-pressure steam earlier. The extra fuel and feed water still require protected hull volume even though they do not count in standard displacement, so range reshapes the whole design rather than merely enlarging tanks.
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How Sydney would double the fleet's design range
Moving the theater-entry base from Singapore to Sydney raises the key voyage from about 5,365 to 9,644 nautical miles and forces longer-ranged ships and more fleet oilers.