The federal government’s 2024 Integrated Investment Program has allocated $14 to $18bn over the next decade to strengthen bases in the NT, northern Queensland and northern Western Australia, and contribute to enhanced collective security of the Indo-Pacific.

In Darwin for a defence summit, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said “the lion’s share” of the funding would flow to the Territory.

“Nearly $400m on the Robertson Barracks redevelopment, $1.5bn on RAAF Base Tindal, hundreds of millions of dollars going into the United States Force Posture Initiatives training areas – they’re just a few examples of the billions of dollars that will go into the NT to develop these bases, which means a safer and stronger ADF and more jobs for Territorians.”

None of the funding was guaranteed for Territory companies, but Mr Conroy said he expected “most” of the money to flow to local industry.