Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
National
Ian Kirkwood

Tim Owen tells conference of worsening security outlook as Solomon Islands controversy flares

BROAD VIEW: Brook Grimmond from the Office of Defence Industry Support speaking at the opening session of the Hunter Defence conference this morning. Picture by Laurie Skovgaard

The annual Hunter Defence conference has heard that the Hunter Region will have an increasingly important role to play in the defence of the nation amid a deteriorating security outlook, typified by yesterday's news of the Solomon Islands refusing to allow US and British warships to dock in its waters.

Hunter Defence chairman Tim Owen opened the three-day conference at Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley today with a blunt appraisal of the situation facing Australia, given its geographic importance and the widely held concerns over China and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.