Media releases

Additional university places to grow Australia's AUKUS workforce

Thousands more students will train at 16 Australian universities through the allocation of an additional 4,001 Commonwealth supported places in STEM courses to help grow the skilled workforce required to deliver the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine pathway. The Albanese Government is investing $128…

Securing continuous Naval Shipbuilding at Henderson Shipyard in Western Australia

The Albanese Government is securing Australia’s shipbuilding capability and investing in Western Australian defence industry through a new strategic partnership between Defence and Austal Limited at Henderson Shipyard. The Defence Strategic Review observed that there was not enough work to sustain…

Guardian-class Patrol Boat delivered to Samoa

Today Samoa formally received the Guardian-class Patrol Boat, the Nafanua III, handed over by the Australian Government. The Nafanua III was officially received by the Hon Harry Jeffrey, Minister for Police and Prisons and Auapaau Logotino Filipo, Police Commissioner on behalf of the Samoan…

A $2 billion Navy maintenance contract boosts jobs and national security

The Albanese Government is supporting almost a thousand defence industry jobs and strengthening national security, with a new $2 billion contract to maintain and sustain Australia’s naval fleet in Sydney. Thales Australia has been appointed as the Regional Maintenance Provider for the new Regional…

Visit to India for second 2+2 foreign and Defence ministerial consultations

This week the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles and Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong will travel to India to meet with their ministerial counterparts and attend the second India–Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi. The Australia–India relationship has…

Unsafe and unprofessional interaction with PLA-N

The Australian Government has expressed its serious concerns to the Chinese Government following an unsafe and unprofessional interaction with a People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) destroyer. On Tuesday 14 November 2023, HMAS Toowoomba was in international waters inside of Japan’s Exclusive…

New legislation to ensure naval nuclear power safety

The Albanese Government has introduced the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Bill 2023, which will establish a new, independent regulator to ensure Australia applies the highest standards of nuclear safety across its nuclear-powered submarine enterprise and can continue to implement AUKUS…

Deputy Prime Minister to travel to Indonesia

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Hon Richard Marles MP, will travel to Indonesia this week to further practical cooperation in the Australia-Indonesia defence partnership. Indonesia is one of our closest neighbours, central to Australia’s security and prosperity. During his…

Release of the annual Cyber Threat Report 2022-23

The Australian Signals Directorate’s (ASD) Annual Cyber Threat Report for 2022-23 lays bare Australia’s cyber threat landscape. Reflecting the global strategic context, this year’s report highlights that Australian governments, critical infrastructure, businesses and households continue to be the…

Albanese Government signs information security agreement with European partners

The Albanese Government has strengthened Australia’s ties with European partners by signing the Security Agreement on the Protection of Classified Information with the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation, known by its French acronym, OCCAR.  Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Richard Marles MP…

Visit to the Republic of Korea and Indonesia

This week I will travel to the Republic of Korea for the Republic of Korea–United Nations Command Member States Defence Ministerial Meeting, and to Indonesia to attend the 10th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus. The meeting in Seoul will be hosted by the Republic of Korea’s Minister of National…

Australian support for the 2023 Pacific Games

Australia is supporting Solomon Islands to host a safe and successful 2023 Pacific Games through our $17 million Pacific Games Partnership and additional personnel deployments, at the request of the Solomon Islands Government. The 2023 Pacific Games is one of the region’s biggest events, bringing…