Council working group go into battle to build and store missiles in Central Qld

A group of councils are locked, loaded and ready to pursue their plans to build a storage area for missiles in Central Qld after securing $1 million in state government funding.

Australian Army soldiers from 16th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) training team, demonstrate the operation of the NASAMS Mk II Canister Launcher during a trial and certification activity at the Beecroft Weapons Range, NSW. Photo: Australian Department of Defence / Supplied

Production and storage of long-range guided weapons is the target for a group of neighbouring Queensland councils now armed with $1 million in State Government funding to cash in on a new Australian Defence Force priority.

Rockhampton Regional Council Mayor Tony Williams said the Guided Weapons Explosives Ordinance (GWEO) project was in its early stages after the Central to Defence Working Group recognised an opportunity in the Australian 2023 Defence Strategic Review.

The review includes the need to “rapidly establish a domestic” guided weapons and explosive ordinance manufacturing capability as a fundamental step in defending Australia’s northern approaches.

As a result the Australian Government is investing $4.1 billion to acquire and manufacture more long range strike systems and this would include expanded storage and distribution capacity with opportunities for every state and territory.

Cr Williams said the group, made up of Rockhampton, Gladstone and Livingstone Councils along with Regional Development Australia Central and Western Queensland, had applied for and just received $1 million from the Queensland Government’s Regional Economic Futures Fund to explore the development of defence industries in the region.

‘A NUMBER OF ASSETS, FROM SHOALWATER BAY... TO EXPLOSIVES FACILITY’

He said the Bajool Explosive Reserve, located near the largest hazardous goods hub in the nation at Port Alma south of Rockhampton, was a logical location for the manufacturing and storage of guided weapons and explosive ordinance.

The CQ Defence Strategy, which was developed in the lead up to the ADF review, outlines the potential of the region’s strategic assets, including the upgraded Shoalwater Bay Training Area, the Bajool facility, the Rockhampton and Gladstone airports, the ports at Gladstone and Port Alma, the Bruce Highway and the North Coast Rail Line, the Mayor said.

“We believe we’ve got a number of assets there that can be developed, potentially for options for defence going forward and the guided weapons and explosives ordinance is a great opportunity what’s already happening at the explosives facility at Bajool,” he said.

Mayor Tony Williams, Premier Steven Miles and Rockhampton MP Barry O’Rourke at Rocky Zoo. Pic Annette Dew

‘WE BELIEVE THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO DIVERSIFY OUR ECONOMY’

“So we put a business case together with a number of different options that the group have been working with and have been to Canberra and Brisbane, meeting with politicians, putting our case forward.

“We believe this is a great opportunity to diversify our economy as we see that Townsville has a large military presence and for its local economy it provides a great stimulus every year.”

He said there was a long line of regions across Australia competing for defence project funding which was why the Central Queensland councils had teamed up to present a more compelling business case.

“There are areas where a lot of Defence is currently positioned which are becoming more and more congested and making their operations more restrictive with curfews and the like,” Cr Williams said.

United States Marine Corps from the Second Marine Division fire HIMARS missiles onto target during the multi-national live firepower demonstration at Shoalwater Bay Training Area during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023. Supplied Australian Defence Force

“I would like to commend the other councils that are part of this who are working together to see what further options we can look at going further in the years to come.

“The real key to (our funding success) was when I was first mayor we’d been trying to talk to defence for many years as a council standing alone and I realized that wasn’t achieving a great deal.

“A united voice has a stronger and louder ability and that’s where we have made inroads by working with our Central Queensland neighbours as a group and not one individual council working alone.”

He said the Central to Defence Working Group had just called for expressions of interest from specialist consultants to assist it with a strategy to explore the development of defence industries in the region with a strong response from potential candidates.

Fleet Service Release for the JASSM capability onto F/A-18A/B ‘Classic’ Hornet aircraft was completed in November 2011.

‘PLANNING AND DELIVERY A COMPLEX PROCESS’

Lockheed Martin Australia is one of the initial strategic partners in the GWEO Enterprise and have been tasked with expanding the nation’s industrial and manufacturing capabilities in this area.

This includes accelerated storage and distribution options for guided weapons and explosive ordinance.

James Heading, Director of Programs, Strategic Capabilities Office, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, earlier this year said the company was working with “Government, Defence, industry and academia” to deliver an industry capability that will reduce Australia’s dependence on international supply chains and infrastructure.

“We are focusing on areas with experienced technical labour forces and mature industrial bases, and have been looking at such capabilities across Australia,” he said when asked to comment on Central Queensland’s potential.

“The planning, delivery and accreditation of potential suppliers, facilities, and infrastructure for such an enterprise is a complex process.

“Decisions on these activities are ongoing with a clear focus to enable manufacturing initially of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) missiles in 2025 and other more complex Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) capabilities in the years to come.”

HIMARS fire in unison from the United States Army 17th Field Artillery Brigade during a multi-national live firepower demonstration at Shoalwater Bay Training Area during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023. Supplied Australian Defence Force

‘COULD MEAN MORE JOBS... MORE OPPORTUNITIES’

Cr Williams said while the GWEO project was the current focus, there were other ADF service opportunities in the region.

“We can start with the explosives and looking at the way that could mean potential jobs because we already do explosives out of Bajool and mainly for the resource sector,” he said.

“That’s something that’s happened there for many, many years and looking how we can increase in that space is what we’ll be focusing on, but also adding to the Rockhampton Airport and bay seven (dedicated to military) we could see further exercises conducted at a Shoalwater Bay and what that means is economic benefit by working through the procurement of goods and services for those exercises.

“Also looking at warehousing equipment here, which would be serviced and maintained between those exercises could potentially create hundreds of jobs as well.

“So they’re the types of opportunities we’re looking at and then Gladstone with the deepwater port the Navy could potentially use in that location.

“So we’re really open to a number of suggestions but trying to pick the ones that would best suit defence, current or current strategic positions is what we’re talking about at the moment.”

Originally published as Council working group go into battle to build and store missiles in Central Qld