How Queensland supports Australia’s maritime defence

Queensland’s strategic geography, and the largest concentration of defence people, assets, bases, ports, training ranges and support sites means the state plays a critical role in the nation’s defence.

Queensland plays a critical role in the nation's defence with vessel repair, maintenance and overhaul.

The Defence Strategic Review recognises that Australia’s strategic circumstances are deteriorating and that an urgent reset of Defence force structure, posture and readiness is required.

Australia needs to be able to respond quickly with our Allies, partners and friends to deter any potential adversary and respond to challenges that are expected to emerge from the mid-2020s.

Queensland’s strategic geography, proximity to the Indo-Pacific region, together with the largest concentration of defence people, assets, bases, ports, training ranges and support sites in Australia means Queensland already plays a critical role in the nation’s defence.

Queensland has strong and growing regional centres from Cairns in the north to Toowoomba and Ipswich in the south. Many of these centres provide support to adjacent defence facilities.

Queensland’s supply chains, ports and transport network are well-established, and Queensland is one of the few Australian states that enables the ADF to optimise Defence capability and posture, mount operations, and project force from multiple bases into key operating areas of the Indo-Pacific to meet the nation’s security challenges.

Ensuring that our maritime defence capabilities remain strong and that their operations are sustained from Australia’s north is vital.

Simon Cullen.

The Queensland government has been working hard to ensure that the state is doing what it can to support this national endeavour. It does this through the provision of infrastructure and facilities, skilled people, world class research and a growing defence manufacturing base.

In the Defence maritime sector, Queensland’s focus is on the provision of sustainment support to Defence in ports such as Cairns and Townsville.

The Cairns Marine Precinct (CMP) is a leading maritime maintenance, repair, and overhaul destination for commercial, Defence and recreational vessels across Australia and internationally.

The CMP is the strategic location for the Regional Maintenance Centre North-East which will provide critical maintenance and sustainment to multiple classes of navy vessels.

The Queensland government has committed $150m towards the development of a Common User Facility (CUF) at the CMP, with funding matched by the Commonwealth.

The CUF development will enhance the infrastructure capacity and capabilities at the CMP, optimise the use of waterfront land, capitalise on emerging defence and marine industry opportunities, and ensure Cairns continues to build its reputation as Northern Australia’s home of vessel repair, maintenance, and overhaul.

The Port of Townsville is one of the most diverse ports in the country servicing industries in northern and northwest Queensland. The Port has a long history of supporting Defence, most recently through provision of support to army watercraft and is well positioned as a mounting base for operations into the Indo-Pacific region.

The Port is an entry point for Northern Queensland in the event of natural disasters, including the facilitation and distribution of aid across the north and into the Indo-Pacific.

The Port of Townsville has commenced an upgrade program that includes deepening and widening entrance channels, the provision of additional berths and room for supporting infrastructure.

It is also important to remember that other Queensland ports such as Gladstone and Bundaberg can provide safe harbourage for defence vessels if required.

In addition, the Queensland government continues to work with the Australian Institute of Marine Science near Townsville to develop the first tropical maritime test and trial range in the southern hemisphere for uncrewed and autonomous vessels. These vessels are likely to play an important role in the future maritime defence of Australia as technology evolves.

The Queensland government has invested $2m to support this development which continues its focus on test and evaluation as a contributor to sovereign capability.

When considered in conjunction with the maritime engineering, maintenance, logistic and administrative support capabilities and facilities resident within the Cairns and Townsville Ports, the combined precincts demonstrate the potential to provide an advanced and holistic maritime support solution for Defence in northeast Australia.

Simon Cullen is Defence Jobs Queensland’s Strategic Defence Advisor Maritime.