Japan’s decision to train again in Townsville makes operational sense. Still, it exposes a deeper strategic problem in how Australia is shaping its northern defence posture. The choice aligns with Japan’s immediate training needs. Yet …
The Strategist on: "North of 26° south"
Northern Australia is often described as constrained by distance, workforce and cost. That framing misses the point. By any other definition, it’s a greenfield industrial system, with abundant energy, world-class mineral endowment, available land and …
Each wet season, Northern Australia and the wider Oceania region are reminded that climate stress is no longer episodic. Cyclones, floods, extreme heat, infrastructure failure and displacement arrive with uncomfortable frequency. And they are becoming …
The Northern Territory still struggles to convert opportunity into sustained economic growth because workforce shortages, weak enabling infrastructure and slow approvals continue to choke investment. With the May budgets in Darwin and Canberra fast approaching, …
Washington and Manila have moved from intent to design, announcing plans for a 4,000-acre (16 square km) economic security zone to anchor allied supply chains in the Philippines. That move should inspire Australia’s approach to …
Northern Australia will decide whether Australia will sustain combat power where it matters most or fail to do so before tempo can be maintained. Policy has settled on the importance of geography. Execution will determine …
We no longer face a knowledge problem on critical minerals. We face a coordination failure, and the cost of that failure is already visible in delayed investment and persistent dependence. Governments understand the risk. Industry …
With the war in Iran, Australia is facing a second major external shock this decade. The lived experience of Covid-19 and the disruptions already evident from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have highlighted …
The Australian Defence Force reserves are increasingly weighted in the country’s south and east, despite Defence strategy prioritising the north. It’s much the same pattern seen in the distribution of active ADF personnel, though for …
Northern Territory growth has stabilised, but its foundations remain weak, and that should concern anyone serious about Australia’s defence posture. The Darwin Major Business Group’s latest Over the Horizon 2026 report shows a territory economy …
Strategic geography creates opportunity. It does not create industry. Northern Australia now faces a simple test: can the Northern Territory turn its position at the edge of the Indo-Pacific into real industrial capability? The Northern …
Australia’s plan for sustaining its armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) far from their basing is the equivalent of Ukraine sending its tanks to Paris for repair and overhaul. This is illogical and unacceptable. As part of …