Doorstop Interview, Kangaroo Flats Training Area

PETER KHALIL [ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR DEFENCE]: Yes, yeah. Well, good morning, everyone. My name is Peter Khalil; I’m the Assistant Minister for Defence, and it’s great to be up here at the top end. I’m actually up at Kangaroo Flats Training Area for this fantastic upgrade to the training range. We’ve invested $46.1 million to upgrade this training range. It is really a state‑of-the-art training range for our forces to train and exercise with our US partners. It is a 600-metre range, about 24 lanes, eight lanes that go out to 1100 metres for sniper training, and there’s also capability or a capacity for fix and moving targets as well as night vision training as well here at this training range. So, it’s a really fantastic part of the overall investments we’re making across the northern bases of Australia. It’s part of $747 million of investment under the US-Australia Force Posture Agreement for the Northern Territory ranges project. There’ll be other – there are other upgrades at Robertson Barracks, Mount Bundey Training Area, Bradshaw as well, Bradshaw Training Area. And overall Australia and the US are investing together some 14 – over $14 billion to upgrade the northern bases across Australia. It’s a significant investment. It is all about making sure that we have the infrastructure, the bases and facilities that we need for the current and future capability of our ADF forces to work alongside our great friend and partner the US and to advance our alliance and our work together to ensure the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific. 

And you would have seen overnight the very successful meeting between the Australian Prime Minister and the US President in Washington at the White House, where they announced an $8.5 billion critical minerals and rare earth agreement. It’s hugely significant actually for the top end because we’ve announced also $100 million in equity investment in the Arafura Nolans project. That’s some 700 kilometres from here, but in the territory, which is hugely significant for the economy of the territory. And that project will be producing around 5 per cent of the world’s critical minerals and rare earths. And there are many other projects. We’re investing another billion dollars, it’s going to be going out within the next six months as well Arafura Nolans project to many projects. So this is hugely significant for both our countries, and we work also with partners in the region. 

Lastly I’ll say, too, there’s been a reaffirmation and a real sense of progress with respect to AUKUS, the tripartite agreement between Australia, the US and the UK. And we saw the President and the Prime Minister talking about that in the press conference yesterday. And the work that we’re doing at Henderson and Sterling over in WA to build up that infrastructure for the submarines, the Virginia‑class, is significant. It was mentioned by the President as well. So the relationship is in great shape. It was a really successful meeting, and it’s fantastic to be able to be here to see this training range as an example of the investments we’re making across Australia for the northern bases. The National Defence Strategy emphasised the need for us to build up and upgrade the northern bases across our country because they are literally on the frontline of our national interests and our national security. And that is what the men and women in uniform are doing up here, working day by day, working with partners like the US rotation – that’s here, the marine rotation, working together, interoperability exercise training. It stands us in good stead to provide that stability and security for the Indo-Pacific. 

I’m here, too, with the Special Envoy for Defence, Luke Gosling. He’s also the member for Solomon. A fantastic champion for the people of Solomon but a champion of the people that work in the ADF, the men and women in uniform who are serving our country. As a veteran himself, he knows the sacrifices of service that are being made up here. Now, I don’t mind the heat up here, Luke. It is great. I love heat. So I love being up in the top end. Some people complain about it, but it’s fantastic. But it’s great to visit you here in Solomon. And I also want to acknowledge Brigadier Matthew Quinn, who’s the D-G of the capital facilities and all the work, the infrastructure work, that’s going on around Australia. It’s a big job because it’s some of the biggest investment we are making as a commonwealth probably in a generation, Brigadier. So well done for all of your work. 

I might just hand over now for Luke to say a few words. Over to you, Luke. 

LUKE GOSLING [SPECIAL ENVOY FOR DEFENCE]: Thanks, Peter. And, yeah, it is fantastic to be out here at Kangaroo Flats Training Area where this world-class facility, the Assistant Minister Peter Khalil, my colleague and mate, has just officially opened today. And I want to thank Brigadier Quinn and all the people both in uniform and with Defence more broadly as well as the contractors who have got us to where we are today to this opening. And, of course, those that will be doing the live firing practice – the soldiers of the 1st Brigade who will be one of the biggest users of this facility, but not forgetting the marine rotation that will be coming through this facility and also other partners that we have in the region who’ll be honing their marksmanship skills right here. 

Shooting is a very important skill for soldiers but sailors and aviators too. For our marine partners it’s through using first-class targeting systems that are provided here by ILTS but also the fantastic facility built here by M&J Builders with Sitzlers managing directorship and with RPS also, those partners together have produced something really special here at Kangaroo Flats. Nice and close to Darwin so it can be easily utilised. It’s a fantastic example, as the Assistant Minister said, of our Defence Strategic Review, borne out in the integrated investment plan of 14 to $18 billion spent here in northern Australia on improving our bases. Now, there have been so many partners that have made today possible, and I want to thank them all, but it’s important to be able to get here. So I want to give a shoutout to AKJ Services, because they built the road in here. And they’re doing amazing work in bringing up, in particular, young Indigenous men and women and bringing them into the workforce to build capability for our country. But also to build housing, and they’re doing such a great job and providing real leadership in that area. So well done to all the partners from this exciting projects, which is providing to our fighting men and women the facility they need to hone their skills. 

I wasn’t a great shot when I was in the army, but I spent a bit of time at a range, and what tends to happen is people shoot high. But we can’t afford that. We need them to be the best possible shooters that they can be because if they’re ever called on to apply their trade in the defence of our country, they need to be hitting the target. And that’s what a facility like this will enable them to do, is to shoot true, particularly if they’re hot, particularly – and this is a perfect training ground for that – but particularly if they’re tired. So when they’re hot and tired is when we need soldiers to be really good at their trade, and this facility will help them do that. So thanks, Brigadier, and just invite you to say a couple of words – or as many as you want. 

MATTHEW QUINN: Thank you. It’s a privilege to be here today just to celebrate an important milestone in this project in the opening of the state-of-the-art marksmanship training range here at Kangaroo Flats. It’s part of a broader project – the $747 million Northern Territory training areas and ranges upgrade project, which is across four training areas. So today not only celebrates the opening of the marksmanship training range but also the completion of all works at Kangaroo Flats Training Area. This is in addition to completing all works at Robertson Barracks earlier this year, and I look forward to the completion of the other training areas, being Mount Bundey Training Area and Bradshaw Field Training Area, which is due for completion in mid-2026. 

Now, Defence is obviously acutely aware of the need to use local resources when we’re developing these projects, and this marksmanship training range is an example of that which pretty much was delivered by 100 per cent local resources and a significant proportion of Indigenous businesses and enterprises. A fantastic effort. The minister and the special envoy, I’ve already spoken about the great team that’s done this project, and I’d just like to acknowledge all the Defence members who have been involved in the project. They’ve done a great job in managing the contractors, setting the requirements and also now setting up today to be a fantastic event. So thank you, and it will be really great training outcomes for the Australian Defence Force and the partner nations, especially the US, moving forward now that we have such an awesome facility. Thank you. 

KHALIL: Well done. Thank you, Brigadier, and Luke. I think they’ve both hit the target on that. Well done. Let’s see how I go with some of the questions that you might have. 

JOURNALIST: Minister, you talked about the importance of the US relationship, especially today and overnight the news. But, yeah, what – how important is northern bases and northern Australia for our defence? 

KHALIL: Well, I think the northern bases has been highlighted in the National Defence Strategy are critically important for our national security and national interest. Obviously there’s the geographic element over the top of the continent, how important they are geographically. But I think being on the frontline, being able to have that reach into the Indo-Pacific is of critical importance. And then the work that we do at the northern bases with our allies and partners like the US, critically important to maintain the stability and the security of the Indo-Pacific. The joint exercises like Talisman Sabre which is so significant with so many countries and partners that we get up north and all of the training which is exemplified here - we've been talking about the training ranges here up in the Northern Territory – are all critically important in uplifting our capability, our training with our partners and the work that we do together. 

Fundamentally what the need is here is to upgrade these northern bases to make them fit for purpose for the strategic challenges that we face in the 21st century. We’ve identified the need. We are investing in a significant way, some of the largest investments in defence spending since World War II, the largest in peace time. As I mentioned, over $14 billion to upgrade the northern bases of Australia and tens of billions of dollars across the estate as well to get it up to scratch, to be fit for purpose to meet the current and future capability needs of our men and women in uniform. This is so important strategically for Australia because we are, I think, front and centre, frankly, in helping shape the region that we live in with our partners and our friends and allies. And what are we shaping? We want to shape a world, a region, in which there is stability, there’s security, there’s free movement of trade so that we can benefit economically and culturally with our neighbours and maintain the peace in the region. And that’s good for us, it’s good for our people, it’s good for the people of the region that are part of this as well. 

JOURNALIST: We’ve heard a bit about Japan also having a force here at some stage. Do we have any update when that might be announced or talked about a bit more? 

KHALIL: Well, I won’t steal any thunder from the DPM or the Prime Minister, but there is ongoing conversations with Japan. We have been working very closely with Japan. They have been involved in many of the military exercises up north, and they’re a very, very important friend and partner. We’re enhancing and increasing our joint efforts with Japan, with other countries like South Korea, with the Philippines across the region, with Indonesia. These are all critically important partnerships and relationships because, again, it all goes back to what I was saying earlier – the need for us to work together to maintain the stability and the security across the region, which benefits billions of people in the region. And Japan is a very welcome partner that we’re working with and building up all of the capability that we’re doing with them in our joint exercises as well. 

JOURNALIST: Maybe for Luke Gosling, just the impact on the territory, the economy, the businesses, with such a big contract for these four bases being upgraded, yeah. 

GOSLING: Yeah, the base enhancements that have been happening here at Kangaroo Flats but also at Robertson Barracks at Mount Bundey and at Bradshaw have been a big boom for territory businesses. The overwhelming majority of the work on these contracts, with Sitzler as the managing contractor, has gone to territory companies and Territorians. So I want to thank them all, but also underscore that we’re making a conscious effort to make sure that there’s local benefit through these upgrades. 

KHALIL: Just add to that and Luke is very much aware of the benefits to the top end economically. When I mentioned earlier the critical minerals and rare earths agreement, we’ve announced a $100 million investment into the Arafura Nolans project, which is hugely significant for the economy of the top end. All the capital works that are happening at the northern bases and the $747 million that’s invested in the four training areas up here in the territory, these are all really important for the territory, its economy, for jobs, the investment that’s happening and the job creation that’s there. I’m meeting with the Chief Minister later today to discuss Defence’s investments in the territory and how we can work together, as we already with, with the Territory Government. 

But this is great for the territory and it’s really wonderful to see this upgrade happening here. But as Luke mentioned, there are so many people involved with this as well – all the contractors, all the local work that is created is a really significant boon for the territory. 

JOURNALIST: Thank you. 

KHALIL: All good? Thanks everyone. Cheers. 

ENDS