Townsville land acquisition begins for Defence training fields

Compulsory land acquisitions are set to begin for the expansion of Defence Field Training Areas around Townsville and Rockhampton.

It is as part of the Singapore-Australia defence agreement which will see the High Range Field Training Area upgraded to accommodate 14,000 Singaporean troops for 18 weeks every year.

The existing training areas can only accommodate a limited number of troops.

The Defence Department has written to landholders who may be impacted, with some landholders willingly sell their land during the next five years.

The Land newspaper suggests about 20 landholders are affected in the Townsville region acquisitions.