The Northern Territory (NT) is one of the world’s most exceptional military training environments, offering vast and rugged landscapes ideally suited for large-scale exercises, live-fire drills and complex operations. Defence-owned areas such as Bradshaw Field …
Originally published on 18 March 2024. Australia really does run on the smell of an oily rag. Our fuel reserves are pitifully low by international standards, and we produce very little fuel domestically. This is …
On Christmas morning in 1974, Cyclone Tracy unleashed catastrophic destruction on Darwin, forever altering the city and Australia’s approach to disaster resilience. As the intensity of climate-driven catastrophes grows, the main lesson of Cyclone Tracy …
Australia needs further investment into Darwin’s digital infrastructure to leverage the city’s proximity to Asia and support the resilience of international data flow through subsea cables. Actions should include establishing an office to coordinate industry …
The Royal Australian Navy needs missile reloading facilities in the north of the country, most obviously at Darwin and Cairns. The southern ports where Australian warships now take on munitions are too far from where …
The Australian government envisions Australia as a renewable energy superpower, with the Future Made in Australia policy committing billions to building a domestic hydrogen industry. For decades, optimists have called hydrogen the fuel of the …
Australia can partner with Middle Eastern countries on something we both really understand: how to manage scarce water. Australia’s experience with water management can help to strengthen existing approaches in the Middle East and build …
Critical minerals are a focal point of international contention in an increasingly fracturing international system. These minerals underlie competition across civil and defence sectors and promise economic opportunity throughout their supply chain. Furthermore, they are …
Valuable training in the Northern Territory for Japan’s key amphibious force from next year should be only a step towards more extensive use of Australian exercise areas by the Japanese armed forces. Canberra should now …
Northern Queensland has a pivotal role to play in the future of Australia’s defence industry, but its cities and local governments must work together to fully realise the potential. Collectively they have more to offer …
Chinese companies own or operate at least one port on every continent except Antarctica. These investments present more than immediate security concerns; they position China to fully exploit the economic potential of ports at the …
Northern Australia comprises half of the nation’s landmass, is rich in natural resources and offers a gateway to the Indo-Pacific—yet it is grossly underappreciated in federal decision-making, with the result that its potential is largely …
