Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence Fran Bailey said tonight that Northern Territory would benefit from approved Defence facilities projects totalling approximately $102 million in the 2004-05 Budget.

Subject to Defence planning processes, an extra $18 million per annum will be spent over the next four years on Defence estate upkeep works.

Some 5,000 members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Department of Defence personnel are based in the Northern Territory.

"The investments in Northern Territory will include significant spending in Darwin where the 1^st Aviation Regiment at Robertson Barracks will benefit from a purpose–built working, training and domestic accommodation facility.

"While in the critical area of base and personnel security both RAAF Base Tindal in Katherine and Robertson Barracks in Darwin will receive significant funds in order to upgrade their perimeter security fencing", Fran Bailey said.

Capital Facilities Projects for the Northern Territory include:

This project provides engineering services and infrastructure to allow the use of Bradshaw as a field training area for 1^st Brigade. The indigenous land use agreement has been registered and contracts for road construction will be awarded by mid-2004. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2005.

This project will provide a base perimeter security fence, which is designed to detect and delay intruder access. Construction of the fence will commence in late May 2004 and will be completed by December 2004.

The objective of this project is to establish a new permanent Tactical Air Defence Radar Site at Pt Fawcett, Bathurst Island. Bathurst Island is located immediately off the coast of Darwin, Northern Territory.

The aim of this project is to construct vehicle shelters in the tanker compound for 16 vehicles at RAAF Tindal.

Katherine – RAAF Tindal – Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile/Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile Secure Facility

The project aims to upgrade/enhance existing infrastructure and to construct an Advanced Short Range Air to Air Missiles (ASRAAM) storage facility.

This project provides enhanced support facilities at RAAF Darwin. The majority of facilities have been completed and are in use. The base medical facilities and upgrading of the firefighting water supply are due for completion in August 2004.

This project will provide new facilities for the 1^st Aviation Regiment at Robertson Barracks in Darwin and includes purpose-built working, training and domestic accommodation facilities. Construction commenced in April 2004 and is due for completion by the end of 2005.

The purpose of this project is to improve the electrical reticulation to the RAAF Darwin Married Quarters.

The project aim is to provide regional facilities for the deployment of Special Operations elements.

The 1st Brigade is the mechanised formation within the Australian Army Ready Deployment Force. The provision of a MOUT (Military Operations on Urban Terrain) capability in Northern Territory will enable mechanised training by 1 Brigade to support ADF capability.

The aim of this project is to construct vehicle shelters in the tanker compound for 26 vehicles at RAAF Darwin.

This project aims to upgrade perimeter security at Robertson Barracks with an anti-intruder obstacle.

The Government will provide an additional $300m over three years from 2005-06 to meet increasing costs of maintaining the Defence estate. Defence has also redirected an additional $100m from within its existing budget to estate upkeep in 2004-05. The additional funding will bring planned expenditure on Defence estate upkeep to approximately $330m per annum for the next four years.

The additional funding will enable Defence to meet the increasing cost of maintaining its extensive base infrastructure, including airfields, naval bases, barracks, training ranges and fuel farms. Funds will also be used to meet community, environmental and occupational health and safety regulatory requirements.

The program of estate upkeep works is developed each year. The further funding is expected to result in the following additional expenditure on estate upkeep in the Northern Territory over the next four years. These amounts may change as planning processes proceed.

Examples of works to be undertaken in the Northern Territory in 2004-05 include:

• replace cooling towers at RAAF Tindal;
• refurbishment at Darwin naval base; and
• environmental condition monitoring at Bradshaw field training area.