RAAF scours north-west for fuel storage

02/09/2024 - 09:08

The Royal Australian Air Force is assessing areas across the north-west for additional sites to store fuel as part of plans to expand military presence in the region

A RAAF jet comes in to land at Learmonth airbase near Exmouth. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

The Royal Australian Air Force is assessing areas across the north-west for additional sites to store fuel as part of plans to expand military presence in the region.

Business News understands Department of Defence contractors have been out in the north-west in recent weeks and were spotted at last week’s Developing Northern Australia conference in Karratha.

The RAAF is understood to be surveying sites to build fuel depots between Onslow and Darwin to complement its existing north-west supplies at Learmonth and Curtin airbases.

A Department of Defence spokesperson did not confirm specifics of the visits.

“The Australian government plans to invest between $3.7 [billion and] $4.8 billion in improvements to develop and enhance fuel holdings and storage and distribution capabilities,” he said.

“Initial work to inform these investments is under way.”

Several options exist for the RAAF. The civilian airports of Karratha, Port Hedland, Broome, and Kununurra have welcomed military jets previously and have ample space, though there are plans to move Broome Airport.

Onslow’s apron is being extended and the Shire of Ashburton has expressed a desire to attract an increased defence presence in the region.

The remote Mungalalu airport (formerly Truscott) sits strategically on the northern coast about halfway between Curtin airbase and Kununurra and is the largest all-weather strip in the north Kimberley.

Several remote north-west islands also hold potential, namely the unsealed Troughton Island airstrip and Mount Gibson Iron’s sealed Koolan Island strip, where work is under way to determine future use of the island when iron ore mining wraps up in the next few years.

The news comes as the US Airforce mulls using Learmonth and Curtin for rotational deployments, under which P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, F35 fighters, and bombers could use the bases.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in August said Australia and the US would survey potential upgrades at the two bases.