UPGRADES are on the way for the Edinburgh Royal Australian Air Force base as part of a $270 billion defence industry spend announced last week.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced last Wednesday the Federal Government would make the major investment into the nation’s defence force across the next 10 years.
Of the $270 billion investment, $2.6 billion is set to flow to South Australia across its metropolitan and country Australian Defence Force (ADF) bases.
An ADF spokesperson confirmed last week the Edinburgh RAAF base would see facilities and infrastructure upgrades, but said specific projects were yet to be identified.
“As is usual for defence planning, a range of options are carefully considered before decisions are taken by government in relation to specifics such as the location and nature of new capabilities, including infrastructure,” the spokesperson said.
“This is to ensure that these projects achieve the best capability outcome, get best value for money for taxpayers, and maximise local industry involvement in the delivery of facilities and infrastructure to support these capabilities.”
The spokesperson added the ADF would look to engage local businesses to complete the projected upgrades.
Speaking last week, Mr Morrison said the $270 billion investment would create Australian jobs.
“My first priority is keeping Australians safe,” he said.
“The Federal Government is committed to ensuring the ADF is equipped to meet our growing regional challenges in the Indo-Pacific, and to achieve our goals of regional stability, peace and security.
“This will ensure we are able to shape our environment, deter actions against our interests and, if required, respond with military force.
“More broadly, we are ensuring defence has more durable supply chains, while further strengthening Australia’s sovereign defence industry to create more high-tech Australian jobs and enhance the ADF’s self-reliance.”
Defence minister Linda Reynolds said the recent bushfire season and the COVID-19 pandemic had expanded the role of the defence force.
“Defence thinking, strategy and planning have shifted gears to respond to our constantly changing and deteriorating strategic and defence environment,” Mr Reynolds said.
“Australia’s security environment is changing quickly, with militarisation, disruptive technological change and new grey zone threats making our region less safe.”