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The Northern Territory is set to benefit from a Commonwealth government investment in defence infrastructure upgrades.
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has committed $282 million in funds across two new defence projects in the Top End.
This includes the establishment of a Regional Maintenance Centre in Darwin to support the national naval shipbuilding enterprise, with a tender for a new industry partner to lead the project set to be advertised in coming weeks.
The centre is expected to initially support the sustainment of the new evolved Cape Class patrol boats and Arafura Class offshore patrol vessels.
According to Prime Minister Morrison, the Regional Maintenance Centre will initially inject around $160 million into the local economy, creating approximately 70 jobs over the next five years, and supporting the employment of 1,500 locals.
“This will provide valuable long-term contract opportunities to large and small defence industry businesses from Darwin to Alice Springs, strengthening the local defence industry and growing jobs,” Prime Minister Morrison said.
Separately, $122 million has also been earmarked for 34 Department of Defence projects aimed at enhancing Australia’s defence capabilities across the Northern Territory as part of the 2022-23 Estate Works Program.
The work is set to involve upgrades to airfields, working accommodation, critical communication stations, and military bases, including RAAF Base Tindal, RAAF Base Darwin, Robertson Barracks, and Defence Training areas such as the Bradshaw Training Area.
This is tipped to employ 200 locals during the design, planning and delivery stages across the 34 projects.
“The Northern Territory is a key strategic area for Defence and it is the guardian of Australia’s northern approaches,” Prime Minister Morrison added.
“These investments are recognition of the key role the Northern Territory provides for Defence and Australia.”
Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said the new commitment would help further develop Australia’s local defence network.
“The local carpenters, electricians, boilermakers, mechanics and many other tradespeople are getting unprecedented opportunities to support our Defence bases,” she said.
“This level of support is being mirrored across the country, where we will invest $270 billion in defence capability over the coming decade, supporting more than 100,000 jobs across the economy.”
This announcement comes just a week after a US delegation, led by US Indo-Pacific Command’s Director for Logistics and Engineering, Brigadier General Jered Helwig, announced plans to visit bases and facilities in Australia to advance commitments announced following the Australian-US Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) 2021.
These commitments included the establishment of combined logistics, sustainment, and maintenance enterprise to support high end warfighting and combined military operations in the region.
The logistics collaboration forms part of a broader plan to ramp up the US' military presence in Australia.
Commitments made during the AUSMIN discussions also included:
- enhanced air co-operation through the rotational deployment of US aircraft of all types in Australia and appropriate aircraft training and exercises;
- enhanced maritime co-operation by increasing logistics and sustainment capabilities of US surface and subsurface vessels in Australia;
- enhanced land co-operation by conducting more complex and more integrated exercises and greater combined engagement with allies and partners in the region; and
- the establishment of a combined logistics, sustainment, and maintenance enterprise to support high end warfighting and combined military operations in the region.
In addition to hosting troops in the Top End, Australia also agreed to welcoming US maritime and air platforms in the southern states.
This is expected to include submarines, bombers, and surveillance aircraft, the latter of which could be sustained at RAAF Base Richmond and RAAF Base Amberley.
[Related: US logistics delegation to visit ADF bases]
