Defence maritime capability and industry jobs will be bolstered in Australia’s Top End with a new contract to deliver a strategically important defence maintenance hub. NORSTA North Pty Ltd has been awarded the Regional Maintenance Provider contract for a Regional Maintenance Centre, known as RMC North, located in Darwin.
The five-year $150 million contract is expected to create up to 37 direct defence industry jobs. The contract will also support a broader industrial ship repair workforce of approximately 56 people in the region. The company will coordinate the delivery of maintenance for Navy vessels in the region, supporting Defence’s national approach to sustainment of the Royal Australian Navy fleet.
RMC North is the fourth and final addition to a national network of strategically located sustainment centres and is on track to be fully operational in the second quarter of 2024, initially supporting the sustainment of Navy’s Cape class patrol boats. A key priority area identified in response to the Defence Strategic Review is improving the ability of the Australian Defence Force to operate from Australia’s northern bases.
RMC North’s establishment will ensure key naval assets are available when and where they are needed. It will enable Navy to operate in Australia’s immediate region to help protect our sea lines of communication and maritime trade and help support Navy’s contribution to security and cooperation in the region.
Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said: “This Regional Maintenance Provider contract provides the key link between NORSTA North Pty Ltd and the Commonwealth to bolster Defence sovereign capability and industry participation in the Top End. This strategically important Regional Maintenance Centre based in Darwin will have positive impacts on the local community and defence industry, creating jobs and increasing economic activity centred around sustainment of our naval fleet. Naval forces in Darwin serve as a rapid response capability for addressing security challenges, bolstering humanitarian aid efforts and supporting disaster relief operations, greatly contributing to security and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.”
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Im not sure how strategic it is to put all our defence assets in the north…it discounts potential avenues of attacks and would potentially have our defence force eliminated in by destroying 3 sites…
Seems short sighted
About 10 years ago a number of Army units were moved from the NT to Adelaide because it had better quality schools for the children and it was much easier for partners to find jobs in a much larger city. Now they are going back the other way. I assume the next review will reverse direction, again.
Most definitely.
Once the resignation rate peaks again they’ll go “Let’s do a review and work out why” and then they’ll shift everyone south again.
Rinse, repeat.
Doing something in order to be able to make announcements about doing something.
if you look on the net and see the history of Butterworth, the conditions there for families over the decades, including schools dedicated to Oz servicemen’s kids, was very good. There was a time they did this sort of thing right
That’s one base we need to keep a hold of
This announcement isn’t as silly as it looks, establishing Logistics that will enhance the ability to react and sustain operations is never a bad thing. Having said that, I’m wondering if it is a new facility or just an upgrade to the maintenance area at HMAS Coonawarra and will it be a Stores Depot as well, the current system leaves much to be desired. Having facilities close to where you need them is vital to success, So we’ll see if it’s something real or just some more phantom woffel to keep the public confined they are actually doing something.