Shoebridge warns US base upgrade puts Wodonga in firing line
Greens leader David Shoebridge says the $42 million US upgrade at Bandiana would make Wodonga a target in a US-China conflict.
Senator David Shoebridge, newly elected Greens leader, told a crowd of more than 140 people in Wodonga on Tuesday that the $42 million US project to pre-position weapons, vehicles, and munitions at Bandiana would put the region at risk.
The US Marines chose the site because it sits beyond the likely reach of Chinese missiles, Shoebridge said. Assistant Defence Minister Peter Khalil has insisted no weapons would be stored there, only American equipment.
The entire upgrade is due to finish by August 2027. Shoebridge argued that Australia is volunteering itself as a frontline in an American conflict rather than staying safe.
- $42 million
- US upgrade cost
- Icon SI awarded $12 million
- Construction contract
- 140+ people
- Audience size
- August 2027
- Completion date
Why it mattersThe upgrade could make a regional Australian town a military target and shapes how Australians live beside US military infrastructure.
AustraliaWodonga and Albury residents face years of uncertainty about living near an expanded US military facility during rising US-China tensions.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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