Overview
The 9th Annual Northern Australia Defence Summit will be a high level policy-driven summit. This year’s event will focus on creating strategic sovereign maritime capability in the North, upgrading and maintaining Defence estate and infrastructure and fostering a strengthened local Defence industry. It will also assess Northern Australia’s geo-strategic importance and regional partnerships such as USFPI and ASMTI.
The Summit will hear from Ministers, senior Defence personnel, leaders of industry, SMEs, academics and strategic analysts.
Speakers
Hon Michael Gunner
Chief Minister of the Northern Territory
The Hon Melissa Price MP
Minister for Defence Industry & Minister for Science and Technology
COL Matthew Quinnn
Director North – Capital Facilities & Infrastructure – Security and Estate Group, Department of Defence
Dana Nelson
President & Managing Director – APAC, BGIS
COL Timothy Rutherford
Commander Regional Force Surveillance Group, Department of Defence
Malcolm Davis
Senior Analyst, ASPI
Jason Miezio
Defence Sector Lead, Sitzler
Jason Kite
Acting Executive Director – Australian Defence Export Office, Department of Defence
Steven Camilleri
CTO, SPEE3D
Nick Tate
Director – Integrated Infrastructure, PwC
Simone Papp
Director – Integrated Infrastructure, PwC
Jerome Wahl
Customer Solutions Experience Director, Australia and New Zealand, Dassault Systèmes
Welcome Reception
Monday 4th April from 5.30pm
Hosted by the NT Government and held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Esplanade Darwin, this is your opportunity to reacquaint yourself with old colleagues, and to make those all-important new connections ahead of the conference proceedings

Agenda
08:00
Registration
08:40
ADM ADDRESS |
Ewen Levick, Group Editor, Australian Defence Magazine
08:50
Opening remarks from the Chair
Jason Miezio, Defence Sector Lead, Sitzler
09:00
MINISTERIAL ADDRESS |
The Hon Melissa Price MP, Minister for Defence Industry & Minister for Science and Technology
09:10
CHIEF MINISTER’S ADDRESS |
The Hon Michael Gunner MLA, Chief Minister, Northern Territory Government
09:40
KEYNOTE | Defence Infrastructure projects in Northern Australia
- An update on current & future major projects
- Defence investment in the north
- Estate & infrastructure upgrades & future projects
Colonel Matt Quinn, Director North – Capital Facilities & Infrastructure – Estate and Infrastructure Group (E&IG), Department of Defence
10:10
Morning Tea & Networking break
10:40
Northern Territory Training Areas and Ranges Upgrades Project
- Upgrade and construction of specialised live-fire training ranges, aviation facilities and training camps
- Development of administration and communication facilities
- Decommissioning of redundant infrastructure
Jason Miezio, Defence Sector Lead, Sitzler
11:05
PANEL | Delivering the North’s Defence Infrastructure
- A look at current and future infrastructure projects
- Unique challenges faced in the North
- Revitalising existing infrastructure
Dana Nelson, President & Managing Director – APAC, BGIS
Nick Tate, Director – Integrated Infrastructure, PwC
Shane Dahlhelm, Executive Director, Darwin Harbour Infrastructure Projects, Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, Northern Territory Government
Moderator: Jason Miezio, Defence Sector Lead, Sitzler
11:50
The role of Northern Australia in achieving regional influence
- US – Australia partnership and joint regional goals
- Advancing the geo-political importance of Darwin
- Additional regional partnerships
USMC Col (Ret’d) Grant Newsham, Japan Forum for Strategic Studies
12:15
ADM ADDRESS | Women in Defence Awards
Kylie Leonard, Associate Publisher, Australian Defence Magazine
12:20
Lunch
13:20
The importance of Defence to the local community in Darwin
The Hon Luke Gosling OAM MP, Federal Member for Solomon & Deputy Chair of Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities
13:45
Collaboration between Industry and Government
Jerome Wahl, Customer Solutions Experience Director, Australia and New Zealand, Dassault Systèmes
James Bear, Senior Director – Defence Industry, Northern Territory Government
Jonathon Gregor, Program Manager- Defence, Northern Territory Government
14:10
The role of the Regional Force Surveillance Group (RFSG) in supporting Australia’s strategic interests in the North
- The development and role of RFSG since its inception
- Supporting border protection operations
- RFSG’s Indigenous Engagement & Development
LTCOL Steven Medlin, Commanding Officer – NORFORCE, Department of Defence
14:35
Afternoon Tea and Networking Break
15:00
What has the Australian Defence Export Office achieved for the North since its inception?
- How has COVID impacted the word of the ADEO?
- How will regional geo-politics play a role its future
- How has the ADEO worked with business of the North?
Jason Kite, Acting Executive Director – Australian Defence Export Office, Department of Defence
15:25
Responsive Space – from the North
- Future space development in the north needs to directly support defence and national security requirements for Australia, and for key allies
- How will innovation and transformation in the space sector shape the development of a ‘space coast’ in the North? What are the local benefits?
- Competition in space between major powers is likely to intensify, and extend from the near-Earth (‘LEO to GEO’) out to the Cislunar region in coming decades, and local space sector development needs to be ready to support alliance needs.
- The impact of ‘fourth industrial revolution’ technologies can transform local economies in the north, elevating the role of space beyond simply launch.
Malcolm Davis, Senior Analyst, ASPI
15:50
PANEL | Developing skills and building a workforce that can support the growth of Defence industry in the North
Steven Camilleri, CTO, SPEE3D
Andrew ‘Jake’ Campbell AM, Triton Program Director Australia, SEA129-5 Program Director, Northrop Grumman
Andrew Hawke, Business Development Manager, Thales Australia
Moderator: Simone Papp, Director – Integrated Infrastructure, PwC
16:35
Welcome to Networking Drinks
Steve Densmore, Northern Territory Manager for North East Zone, Ventia
16:40
Closing Remarks from the Chair
Jason Miezio, Defence Sector Lead, Sitzler
Networking Function
DefenceNT Networking Function
DefenceNT, in collaboration with Australian Industry and Defence Network, the Chamber of Commerce, Master Builders, the Indigenous Business Network and Industry Capability Network, will host a networking function following the Defence Summit.
This will provide a great opportunity to engage with key decision makers from Government and industry while enjoying a drink and canapes at Wharf One Food & Wine, one of Darwin’s best waterfront venues.
Venue
Darwin Convention Centre
10 Stokes Hill Rd,
Darwin City NT 0800
(08) 8923 9000
Book accommodation with HotelMaps
To access the best available rate, book here.
Sustainability
Our Commitment to Sustainability
In Australia, we are committed to running our events in an environmentally and socially responsible way. Across Informa Connect we are focusing on the short and long-term sustainability impacts we have on customers and colleagues alongside the communities we work in.
We recognise that it’s not just about the way we produce our events and products but recognising that we have a role to play in providing a space to work in partnership together with our markets to inspire the sustainable development of the industries we serve.
To read more on our latest sustainability reports and Faster Forward initiatives – click here.