Since the 2023 Defence Strategic Review, the government has spoken often and loudly about the strategic importance of northern Australia. The language has been consistent: a more dangerous region, a need to operate from Australia’s …
The Strategist on: "North of 26° south"
A greater emphasis on subnational diplomacy, particularly regional Australia’s links to the Pacific, presents a significant opportunity for Australia’s regional foreign policy. When Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape met with Cairns Mayor Amy …
In 1940, with much of Europe under fascist domination, US president Franklin Roosevelt declared that the United States must become ‘the great arsenal of democracy’. US industry mobilised, producing ships, aircraft and ammunition on an …
Australia’s northern air bases are vital to national defence, yet improving their resilience remains a work in progress. And the progress is incremental.
Northern Australia is primed for growth. Businesses and communities are stepping up, investing in new capabilities and pursuing opportunities in such sectors as energy, defence, agriculture, aviation and advanced manufacturing. Yet, ambitious efforts are hampered …
Australia lacks secure, onshore computing power capable of training defence algorithms, running classified simulations or supporting the advanced capability agenda under the AUKUS partnership. Addressing this shortfall requires the government and industry to move decisively …
Australia’s Pacific ambitions will only be credible when proximity becomes part of policy design. Northern Australia sits at the centre of the Pacific, not at its edge. Yet, much of our national machinery for Pacific …
Northern Australia’s agricultural workforce needs bespoke development. What works in the south may not work in the north, and capability-building strategies must be adapted accordingly through genuine engagement with those in the industry. Northern Australia’s …
Northern Australia holds enormous potential, but for women in business and leadership, that potential is often constrained. The landscape is defined not just by distance or climate, but by the shape of opportunity: women receive …
Australia needs a dedicated aerospace testing range, and it should be in the Northern Territory. Developing aircraft, missiles and their equipment, and verifying new capabilities added to them, requires real-world testing in large airspaces equipped …
Leadership today is too often confused with visibility. But being seen isn’t the same as being effective. In northern Australia, where the challenges are uniquely complex and the solutions must be collaborative, performative politics cannot …
In 1940, with much of Europe under fascist domination, US president Franklin Roosevelt declared that the United States must become ‘the great arsenal of democracy’. US industry mobilised, producing ships, aircraft and ammunition on an …