Defence presence has a positive impact in the Northern Territory

Defence has welcomed the US Force Posture Initiatives (USFPI) Social and Economic Impact Study undertaken by KPMG showing Defence’s presence in the Northern Territory injects an average of $700 million annually into the local economy.

The study confirms the importance of Defence as an essential part of the fabric of the Darwin community as well as the long-term and significant contribution Defence makes to the economy of the Northern Territory.

Defence’s contribution constitutes around 2.8 per cent of the Territory’s Gross State Product, and includes wages and supplier expenses, operating costs and capital expenditure.

In addition to this sustained contribution, there will be an additional, short-term boost to the economy with a significant capital works program commencing in 2020 under the USFPI.

The study also examined the social impact of Defence and the USFPI in the Northern Territory, where Defence is considered to be an integral part the community.

The social impact assessment found that Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel are seen as part of the local community and that there is an overall positive sentiment regarding the USFPI, with a majority of respondents expressing strong support for their presence.

The USFPI have been contributing to the community through a range of engagement and outreach activities, such as providing assistance to the community following Cyclone Marcus, through to school visitation programs, which are warmly welcomed by the community.

There is a strong sense that the ADF has good relationships with the Indigenous community and that they can foster understanding with the USFPI regarding Indigenous land and culture.

The USFPI Socio-Economic Impact Study is available at: http://www.defence.gov.au/Publications/docs/USFPI-ImpactReport.pdf