Morrison Govt will invest $747 million in Australia Defence Force

The Morrison Government will invest $747 million to upgrade four key training areas and ranges in the Northern Territory to enable the Australian Defence Force to conduct simulated training exercises and remain battle-ready.

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April 29, Sydney: Essential upgrades will be made to four key military training areas and weapon ranges in the Northern Territory, including Robertson Barracks, Kangaroo Flats, Mount Bundey and Bradshaw.

These Defence training areas and facilities will support greater engagement with our Indo-Pacific neighbours and our allies, and to conduct small and large scale military exercises across a number of different scenarios.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the investment was part of almost $8 billion in defence capital infrastructure works over the next decade in the Northern Territory.

The Prime Minister said-

This investment will deliver a jobs boom for the Northern Territory

We continue to invest more than $270 billion in defence capability across Australia over the next decade, ensuring we have a capable defence force to meet a changing global environment while backing thousands of ADF men and women with the newest technology and training

Working with the United States and Indo-Pacific neighbours, we will continue to advance Australia’s interests by investing in the Australian Defence Force, particularly across Northern Australia.

Our focus is on pursuing peace, stability and a free and open Indo-Pacific, with a world order that favours freedom.

This investment will also maximise local jobs through a targeted industry plan to contract local businesses throughout the entire supply chain. My commitment is keeping Australians safe and keeping Australians in jobs.

Minister for Defence Peter Dutton said this significant investment would ensure the Australian Defence Force continues to deliver world-class training and our engagement with allies and other nations through the conduct of joint training exercises, including with the US Marine Rotational Force - Darwin.

“This investment is critical to ensuring that our ADF land combat capability is equipped with the cutting edge technology it will require to maintain our competitive advantage,” Minister Dutton said.

“These works will provide a strong economic benefit to the region, with significant opportunities for the local construction industry and local tradies over a five-year delivery phase program.

“Significant opportunities will exist for local Australian industry to bid for almost all of the construction works, planned to be delivered through numerous local sub-contractor packages by Defence’s local Darwin-based Managing Contractor, Sitzler.”

Subject to Parliamentary approvals, construction is expected to commence in the second half of 2021, with completion expected by mid-2026.