Troops Call Top End Home

Howard Springs facility in Darwin has switched use from a quarantine facility to military accommodation grounds. 

The plan followed a joint agreement signed by the Albanese government and the Northern Territory government—signatures that have made way for a defence accommodation precinct. 

A five-year lease was committed through the Commonwealth and the NT government, expecting to cost $50 million a year. 

Military troops from around the world will move in later this month in a bid to ease accommodation pressures for our nationwide safety net. 

The Australian Department of Defence holds a real estate portfolio of $64 billion, making it one of the largest in Australia. 

Northern Territory is already home to some of Australia’s most strategic defence force bases so the new worker accommodation would allow more troops to develop skills. 

Chief minister of the NT Natasha Fyles said repurposing the facility as a defence accommodation precinct would expand long-term accommodation options.

▲ Robertson army base barracks are about 20km east of Darwin city.

“The defence accommodation will support availability of short-term, business and tourism accommodation options for use in the greater Darwin area, particularly during the peak season,” Fyles said.

The site at 59 Stow Rd, Howard Springs, spanning 67ha would have $100,000 pumped into its renewal, reports said.

Before shutting down and reopening for quarantine usage of NT residents and international jet-setters returning home, the facility was used for FIFO workers in the Top End. 

Japanese gas company INPEX kick-started Darwin’s gas processing industry following their project in 2012—the facility was originally built for workers on the project. 

Following the INPEX project, control was handed back over to the NT government where it sat dormant for a few months pre-pandemic and reopened as a quarantine facility. 

Reportedly, the oil and gas company INPEX was out of pocket $600 million for the development of the workers’ accommodation.

Reports also show INPEX was faced with a $30-million remediation bill for the site, following the completion of its construction phase and no longer needing the accomodation village.