Old Inpex camp could soon become a Defence barracks

A leading Territory industry has its eyes on the former quarantine facility at Howard Springs. Read how it is planned to be used.

The Australian Defence Force is in discussions to take over the Howard Springs quarantine centre.

The NT News has confirmed the Department of Defence and NT Government have had talks to grant Defence future access arrangements to the centre.

Built for $600m by Inpex as a workers’ camp during construction of the Ichthys project, the centre was bought for $1 by the NT Government in 2019.

It gained Australia-wide attention during the Covid-19 pandemic as the Howard Springs Centre for National Resilience.

Tens-of-thousands of Australians returning from overseas to quarantine during the pandemic transitioned through the centre, which the Commonwealth Government described as the nation’s “gold-standard” quarantine centre.

Staff at Howard Springs worker's camp once more in preparation for an influx of arrivals to the Northern Territory undertaking mandatory supervised quarantine. Picture: Che Chorley

A Department of Defence spokesman said reports Defence had bought the 3500 bed centre were incorrect but confirmed an interest in the facility.

“Defence has not purchased the Howard Springs Centre for National Resilience,” the spokesman said.

“Potential future use options for the site have been canvassed during routine discussions between Defence and the Northern Territory Government.”

The NT News understands Defence is eager to boost its accommodation while minimising the competition for tourism beds it may create during the Dry, the peak period for tourists and military exercises in the NT.

At one point during this year’s Dry, more than 6500 Australian and foreign Defence personnel were in the Top End for training, including 2500 for Exercise Pitch Black, 2000 for Exercise Predators Run and 2000 for the US Marine rotation.

Defence personnel from Australia and overseas were in the Top End for military events including Exercise Pitch Black and the US marine rotation.

A tourism industry spokesman said that most visiting personnel were accommodated on local bases during exercises.

However, some are forced to seek-out accommodation at hotels that would have otherwise been used by tourists when base accommodation reaches capacity.

“Defence visitors don’t do shopping or eat at the local restaurants and its better for the economy to have actual tourists,” she said.

A United States Air Force F-15C Eagle from 67th Fighter Squadron taxis on the flight line at RAAF Base Darwin during Exercise Pitch Black 22.

The Commonwealth provided one-off funding of $5m to maintain the centre for the 2022-23 financial year.

Total care and maintenance at the centre, which currently has no residents, costs approximately $400,000 a month.

The Territory Government declined to disclose its future plans, saying only it was considering its options for the centre.

“The Territory Government is considering longer term solutions for the centre of national resilience. For now the Commonwealth Government is funding the maintenance of the facility if it is needed as we transition to living with Covid.”

The spokesman said following the expiry of the Bilateral Agreement between the Commonwealth and Territory governments underpinning arrangements at Howard Springs, the Commonwealth provided a one-off $5 million funding for the 2022-23 financial year, to support DIPL with the management, maintenance and repair of the facility.

The payment was on the condition that the facility could be stood up for priority access use by the Commonwealth as required during this period.

The potential of Howard Springs as a quarantine facility became evident in February 2020 when 266 Australians vaccinated from Wuhan, China, after the spread of Covid-19 began.

A few weeks later another 180 Australians, evacuated from the cruise ship Diamond Princess, were also quarantined at Howard Springs.

Over the next two years about 64,000 people undertook quarantine at the centre for national resilience, including 41,8000 domestic residents and 22,000 from overseas.

In July the NT News published a list of reader suggestions for Howard Springs.

Defence industry support was fourth on a long list.