Dozens of jobs at Darwin’s new $150m Defence maintenance hub

The commonwealth is investing $150m into developing a Defence maintenance hub in Darwin. Read what it will mean for jobs.

Darwin will be home to a new $30m a year Defence maintenance hub specialising initially in maintaining the navy’s Cape Class patrol boats.

Solomon MP Luke Gosling and Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy will officially launch the new $150m, five-year contract in Winnellie.

Norsta North Pty Ltd has been awarded the regional maintenance provider contract for the RMC North facility in Darwin.

The maintenance contract is expected to create up to 37 direct defence industry jobs and will also support a broader industrial ship repair workforce of approximately 56 people in the Top End.

The company will co-ordinate maintenance for navy vessels in the region, supporting Defence’s national approach to sustainment of the Royal Australian Navy fleet.

Solomon MP Luke Gosling said Northern Australia’s defences are being beefed up. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Mr Gosling said RMC North was the fourth and final addition to the national network of strategically located sustainment centres and was on track to be fully operational in the second quarter of 2024, initially supporting the sustainment of Navy’s Cape Class patrol boats.

The Defence Strategic Review, released in April, recommended improving the ability of the Australian Defence Force to operate from Australia’s northern bases.

Writing in The Lowy Institute publication The Interpreter, Mr Gosling said Australia was transforming Northern Australia into a point of attack.

“The point of hardening northern basis is not to defend them against incursions as defence previously thought, but to make them survivable springboards for operations in the region, away from our shores,” Mr Gosling said.

Defence Industry Minster Pat Conroy addresses the National Press Club last week. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“In this new concept, the north is not the weak link in Australia’s defence but its sword and shield, supporting projection into Australia’s primary area of military interest.

“To an ADF re-tasked to hold enemy forces at risk with long-range strike capabilities, the north is no longer a burden but an asset.”

RMC North’s establishment will ensure key naval assets are available when and where they are needed, Mr Gosling, who chairs the federal parliament’s Friends of AUKUS committee, told the NT News.

It will also enable the Royal Australian Navy to operate in Australia’s immediate region, to help protect our sea lines of communication and maritime trade and help support Navy’s contribution to security and co-operation in the region.

“Today’s signing comes hard on the heels of last week’s announcement, where we committed to an additional 110 Commonwealth supported STEM places at Charles Darwin University – growing the skilled local workforce and providing the advanced technology pathways needed to support Australia through the technology sharing AUKUS program,” Mr Gosling said.

Mr Conroy said the partnership combined Defence sovereign capability and industry participation in the Top End.

“Naval forces in Darwin serve as a rapid response capability for addressing security challenges, bolstering humanitarian aid efforts and supporting disaster relief operations, greatly contributing to security and co-operation in the Indo-Pacific,” he said.