Alice Springs: NT Defence Week set to visit Red Centre, connect with locals

Defence experts will appeal to Red Centre locals in a bid to bolster Australia’s northern bases.

A United States Marine Corps M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), part of the Marine Rotational Force - Darwin, fires a guided rocket against targets on Bradshaw Field Training Area in the Northern Territory. Picture: Petty Officer Peter Thompson/Defence

Defence industry has widened its gaze across the Territory, with Red Centre businesses set to be paid a visit by Australia’s military minds.

The 2024 NT Defence Week, penned for May, will host a defence industry roadshow event in Alice Springs for the first time – expanding upon usual destinations Darwin and Katherine.

Major Projects Commissioner Jason Schoolmeester said the visit would provide Territory businesses an opportunity to network with industry gurus.

“NT Defence Week continues to grow year on year, and it provides a necessary platform to demonstrate the Territory’s capability and capacity to deliver existing Defence projects and to attract new ones,” he said.

“It’s an opportunity for local businesses to connect with key players in the Defence industry, which is helping to grow our economy and support more jobs.”

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy is set to visit the Top End. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

The week includes the Northern Australia Defence Summit at the Darwin Convention Centre, where Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy is expected to address the Territory’s strategic role in the Indo-Pacific region.

Other guest speakers include industry leaders, academics, strategic analysts and businesses from across the nation.

Additionally, the week will feature a Meet the Buyer Showcase hosted by the Industry Capability Network, a regional roadshow in Katherine and a special focus on veterans and their families.

Defence Minister Richard Marles has visited the Northern Territory on several occasions. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin.

The decision to expand NT Defence’s audience comes after the 2023 Defence Strategic Review which identified Australia’s north as “the key line of forward deployment” for the ADF and listed Darwin and Tindal as being “integral” locations in defence of the nation.

Also set to be released this year is the National Defence Strategy which will encompass a comprehensive plan of Defence policy, capabilities and resourcing, and planning.

NT Defence Week runs from 7 – 13 May.

For more information visit https://defence.nt.gov.au/industry/local-events