Defence Department sinks ABC’s Darwin ‘top secret’ naval port claim

THE Australian Defence Force has rubbished reports by Australia’s national broadcaster claiming an announcement is imminent that a top-secret naval port will be built north of Darwin

The Defence Department has rubbished reports by the ABC claiming an announcement is imminent that a top-secret naval port will be built north of Darwin. Picture: AFP

THE Defence Department has weighed into claims by Australia’s national broadcaster an announcement is imminent that a top-secret naval port will be built north of Darwin.

The report from the ABC last week has grabbed international media attention ever since with its claims that anonymous government officials have told of plans to develop the Glyde Point area into a deepwater port, which would be capable of accommodating large US warships.

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The ABC report said: “Precise details remain tightly guarded and multiple officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, have confirmed to the ABC the multi-use development would be in the Glyde Point area.”

But the Department of Defence has issued a statement saying it “has not engaged in any classified or unclassified planning with respect to developing, funding or supporting an alternative military, commercial or mixed-use port at Glyde Point or elsewhere in the vicinity of Darwin”.

“This information was provided to journalists last week,” Defence said.

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“Any proposal for a facility at Glyde Point, or elsewhere in the Northern Territory, is a matter for the relevant Northern Territory authorities.”

But Chief Minister Michael Gunner said talk of a second port at Glyde Point was decades old and his Government was not involved in any talk, nor had any plans to build a deep sea port in the area.

“There’s a lot of exciting things happening in the Territory but that’s not currently one of them,” he said.

Mr Gunner said the Federal Government had invested $20 billion in Defence infrastructure in the NT but the Glyde Point project was not part of the 20-year plan for those funds.

“There’s long-term plans well into the future for something to happen out at Glyde Point that’s marine related but at the moment all of our priorities are for a ship-lift facility,” he said.

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The ABC report said a formal announcement on the new maritime facility could be made as early as next month when the Talisman Sabre war games with the US begin in the Territory and Queensland.