I thought Crocodile 3 was held at the Shoalwater Bay training facility, so why rule it out? By the way I’m not predicting ANYTHING… just cutting and pasting some reports…
Here’s another article:
US military base in Queensland
January 25, 2004
AUSTRALIA is planning to allow the United States to build a training base at Queensland’s Shoalwater Bay, near Rockhampton.
The facility could double as a military supply depot to supply up to 5000 US troops with jets, tanks and artillery.
The US military would train its troops and pre-position its tanks, jets, and missiles – and possibly soldiers – at Shoalwater Bay in case of a crisis in Asia.
Shoalwater Bay covers a third of the Livingstone Shire, which has a population of 27,000, and centres on the town of Yeppoon.
The Mayor of Livingstone Shire, Bill Ludwig, said he was aware the Federal Government might consider Shoalwater Bay for the training facility.
“We’ve certainly been made aware of that. It would be great for the region. The facilities are already expanding significantly,” Mr Ludwig said.
Senior sources said US President George W Bush will pressure his senior advisers to strike a deal with Australia over a training facility at this year’s joint ministerial meeting.
Prime Minister John Howard is also understood to want the base as a boost to Australia’s ties with the US, but also as an election winner.
Shoalwater Bay is the site of the military exercises, held every two years by Australian and American military forces. Australian forces also conduct annual training exercises with Singapore’s army.
Singapore already has a massive training facility at Shoalwater Bay, covering 270,000 hectares and 180,000 hectares of marine reserve.
The outstanding feature of Shoalwater Bay is that the army, air force and navy can train together.
During the Crocodile exercise last year with the US, 50,000 troops and up to 300 tanks travelled along the shire’s roads.
Mr Ludwig raised the issue of greater road funding during Transport Minister John Anderson’s visit to Queensland on Thursday.
“There would need to be more funding if there was an American base, because there would be an increase in activity on the shire’s roads,” Mr Ludwig said.
The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard Myers, let slip the proposal for a training base during a visit to Australia this month. General Myers later revealed that another option was to build a storage base to pre-position military equipment.
Peter Jennings, the director of programs at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said Shoalwater Bay was the most likely site for the training facility.
“Shoalwater Bay in Queensland would be a sensible location from where US forces could exercise with our 3rd Brigade in Townsville,” Mr Jennings said.
The US was shifting its thinking about its bases in Asia and the need to deploy troops in forward spots like South Korea and Japan.
“But US forces still need in-theatre training and to practise operating with friends and allies.
“US soldiers may be best kept at home, but pre-positioning equipment overseas makes it easier and less costly to do military exercises.”
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