Defence Spending to Increase by $50 Billion to Combat ‘Ominous’ Indo-Pacific Environment

Defence Minister Richard Marles says recruiting New Zealand migrants on the cards to bolster dwindling personnel numbers.

Australian soldiers from 6 RAR (Royal Australian Regiment) take part in an urban assault in Townsville, Australia on June 30, 2023. Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

An “unprecedented conventional and non-conventional military buildup” in the Indo-Pacific has created a risky environment where “miscalculation is more ominous,” says Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles.

These comments have accompanied a new pledge by the Labor government to increase defence spending by an additional $50 billion (US$32 billion) over the next decade.