The inaugural ADM Townsville Defence Forum took place in late July, bringing just over 100 delegates from Defence and industry (both from Townsville and from around Queensland) together at the Ville Resort, on the lands of the Wulgurukaba people.
Delegates were welcomed to Country by Wulgurukaba traditional owner Uncle Brenton Creed.
The purpose of the Forum – the first in a planned series of similar forums around Australia and New Zealand – is to provide a platform for Defence and industry in the Townsville area to connect and discuss issues of local and regional importance.
LTCOL Carney Elias, Commanding Officer Joint Logistic Unit – North Queensland (JLU-NQ), delivered the opening keynote: an overview of JLU-NQ, including the unit’s role across the north, its financial scope and capability to engage with local businesses, and the unit’s view on the importance of a vibrant local defence industry.
“JLU-NQ has logistics responsibility for all of north Queensland,” LTCOL Elias said. “We are undoubtedly the ADF unit with the most significant connection to industry here in Townsville.”
LTCOL Elias noted that service delivery is provided through major national contracts executed in the Townsville region: Defence Maintenance Support Services through Ventia, which will conclude in mid 2023, to be replaced with a Defence Maintenance Contract (which is in the process of being tendered); and warehousing and distribution through Linfox, with 26 Linfox personnel in Townsville and 34,000 local line items (a contract that runs to 2024).
Additionally, the unit engages up to 80 local organisations across north Queensland for trade support (to a value of $8.25 million per year).
“JLU-NQ conduct maintenance both in-house and through a local trade repair network,” LTCOL Elias added. “JLU-NQ coordinates the majority of maintenance work conducted by local industry across the north Queensland region. This includes the use of regional providers to recover damaged or broken vehicles across the breadth of the state.”
In terms of the growing importance of local industry, LTCOL Elias pointed out that Defence vehicles and vessels are growing in number, size, weight and complexity – for which Defence needs greater supply chain certainty and confidence. Next-generation Army vehicles, such as self-propelled howitzers, will be based at Lavarack Barracks (the largest ADF base in Australia); and HMAS Cairns/Regional Maintenance Centre – North East will see 200 per cent naval vessel weight increase based in Cairns by 2048 (under Plan Galileo).
LTCOL Elias was followed by LTGEN (Ret’d) John Caligari, the Defence Sector Strategic Advisor for Townsville City Council, who observed that 25 July – the day of the Forum – was the 80th anniversary of the first bombing raid on Townsville in World War Two.
Caligari went on to outline Townsville’s position as a mounting point for ADF operations in the southwest Pacific.
“There is increased strategic interest returning to Townsville,” Caligari said. “Our vision is that by 2030, Townsville and north Queensland will be a preferred location for allied forces training, an Army home base of choice, and the ADF forward mounting base for the southwest Pacific. We can either sit back and let that happen, or we grab the opportunity with both hands.”
Delegates also heard from David Mead, Executive Director Strategic Development, Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), about the similarities between the civilian research capabilities of that organisation and what Defence is looking to develop in terms of underwater situational awareness capabilities. In particular, AIMS’ ReefWorks Tropical Marine Technology Test Range offers “test and evaluation services for technologies, especially autonomous and uncrewed systems for civilian and Defence marine applications.”
The event was chaired by Michael Rinaudo, Defence Sector lead for ADCO Constructions, and included additional speakers from Hanwha Defence Australia, the Office of Defence Industry Support, TEi Services, the Queensland state government, and more.
More detailed coverage of the Townsville Defence Forum will be included in the September edition of Australian Defence Magazine.