Upgrade of Northern Territory defence facilities announced by Scott Morrison

Australia will spend hundreds of millions of dollars upgrading Defence capabilities to keep the peace in the Pacific region.

Australian troops will be better prepared to see off foreign threats and integrate their training with key allies including the US, thanks to a $747 million investment in key Northern Territory defence facilities.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will announce the massive cash injection on Wednesday to boost key ADF training facilities across the Territory, providing for upgraded firing ranges, weapons training simulation, combat and urban shooting ranges, aviation facilities, support facilities, and accommodation.

US Marines and Australian soldiers training together at Mount Bundey in the Northern Territory.

Soldiers from the 5th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment watch on as United States Marine Corps aircraft prepare to depart the airstrip at Mount Bundey Training Area in the Northern Territory.

The investment, which comes on the heels of Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo’s warning earlier this week about the increased danger of international conflict, will bolster the ADF’s ability to maintain a secure and open Indo-Pacific region.

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

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

The Daily Telegraph understands that a key part of the thinking behind the investment is the ability to conduct simulated and reality-based war games and military training exercises with major allies, especially the United States.

Already the US and Australia co-operate, through the Force Posture Agreement, on regular rotations of US Marines in Northern Australia, and the enhanced capability and capacity provided by the announcement will significantly enhance the ability of the ADF and American forces to work together.

The four training areas to be upgraded are the Robertson Barracks Close Training Area, the Kangaroo Flats Training Area, the Mount Bundey Training Area, and the Bradshaw Field Training Area.

The various facilities have the capacity to host everything from platoon-sized activities at the Robertson Barracks outside Darwin to joint and combined live fire training, brigade level manoeuvre exercises, and even aerial bombing at the massive 9,000 square kilometre Bradshaw Field, three quarters the size of Sydney.

The objective behind the $747 million spend on defence infrastructure in the Top End is to “pursue peace,” Mr Morrison said.

The Prime Minister avoided directly linking the investment into defence facilities and integrating troop training with our allies to the rising influence of China in Asia and the Pacific, but said it was to “keep Australians safe”.

“(Peace) is the path that we are pursuing but to do that, in a region as uncertain as this, you need to ensure that you have the Defence capability that enables you to protect and defend Australia’s interests in that region and this enables us to ensure there’s an appropriate balance,” he said.

“And particularly in partnership with our United States allies to ensure we can promote an environment where peace will be the outcome.”

Speaking from the Northern Territory Wednesday, Mr Morrison confirmed he was awaiting official advice on the potential security risk posed by the Chinese-owned Landbridge Group holding a 100-year lease for the Port of Darwin.

“The lease of that port was undertaken by the former Territory Government and it was not a lease that was approved by the federal government,” Mr Morrison said.

“If there is advice from the Defence Department or our security agencies that change their view about the national security implications of any piece of critical infrastructure … then you could expect me as Prime Minister to take that advice very seriously and act accordingly.”

Mr Morrison also toured the Howard Springs facility where the Commonwealth and NT government has set up a COVID-19 quarantine system for travellers returned from overseas on repatriation flights.

He also defended the decision to temporarily suspend flights from India, including two planned repatriation trips.

“It is true there has not been a single breach from the Howard Springs facility,” he said.

“But … we’ve got to stay very careful, and we’ve got to stay on it to ensure that we maintain that level.”

A map showing the key ADF training areas to support military preparedness and support greater ability to train with the US.

The Prime Minister also noted that along with the vital need for the training facilities to help protect Australia, the upgrades and construction would also provide economic stimulus and employment in the Northern Territory and with suppliers and subcontractors across the nation.

“We continue to invest more than $270 billion across Australia, 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,” the Prime Minister said.

“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 a job”

The projects are expected to take five years to complete, finishing in the 2025/26 financial year.