Townsville Enterprise welcomes the outcomes from the Houston Smith Defence Review by the Albanese Government.
Townsville Enterprise CEO, Claudia Brumme-Smith said all major recommendations in the Townsville Enterprise submission have been accounted for in the review document.
“We welcome the recommendation for the Apache and 16th Brigade making Townsville their new home. The review reveals Townsville as the industry node for Boeing helicopters which is something we strongly advocated for and a great win for Townsville,” Mrs Brumme-Smith said.
“This gives us confidence that Defence and Defence Industry will continue to invest here, create high-tech jobs, TAFE to develop training offerings for contractors working with Defence and provide long-term certainty for maintenance capabilities for Defence aviation in Townsville.”
The document also focuses on lifting Defence capability to rapidly translate disruptive new technologies into ADF capabilities in close partnership with Australian industry.
“We will be home to high-tech simulation Defence training with the NQ Spark project as well as the Australian-Singapore Military Initiative. The investment is about building on the capabilities and strengths we already have,” Mrs Brumme-Smith said.
“The review outlines Northern Australia as a key focus area for Defence. Townsville is strategically positioned on the doorstep of the Pacific as Australia’s natural gateway for deployment, engagement, training and military operations. To maintain our strength, we need targeted ongoing Defence and Defence Industry investment focused on building a resilient and sovereign supply chain.”
“We recognise the review demonstrates a shift towards marine and aviation and this will mean a transition for Defence. But the review shows what Defence is looking for and it is up to us to show how our strengths will play a role in protecting the security of our nation.”
“The shift towards maritime could see more investment into Port infrastructure. The Port of Townsville expansion is a prime opportunity for Defence to create dedicated facilities in our region in the future.”
Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said the Defence Review has the potential for many positive outcomes for Townsville.
“I am looking forward to reading the Review in more depth and discussing it with key stakeholders because indications are that Townsville can benefit significantly,” Cr Hill said.
The review recommends further investigations and a local Defence working group will be proposed in the coming weeks to ensure we can position Townsville North Queensland as the place for investment as these reviews occur.
Townsville Enterprise together with the proposed local Defence working group will ensure the region’s strengths align so we can help protect our national security.
