Private 'Space Port' to Test Guided Weapons in Queensland Outback

A private company is building a large weapons and aerospace testing facility in the Queensland outback near Thargomindah, a small town about 11 hours west of Brisbane. The site, called the MaxQ range, will cover 1.2 million hectares of leased grazing land and be used to test guided weapons and rockets. The Queensland government is helping pay for the project, which is expected to open in mid-2028. Officials say the facility will bring new jobs and help Australia build its own defence technology.

The company behind the project is Black Sky Aerospace, a Queensland-based business founded in 2018. The company develops rocket motors and fuels, and already runs a launch and production facility near Goondiwindi. The federal government has also invested in the company's manufacturing work in the past. Black Sky has been operating at the Thargomindah site for several years, launching sub-orbital rockets in tests.

The new facility will include launch infrastructure, a 2.5-kilometre runway, and storage for explosives. These additions are expected to create around 60 construction and operational jobs in the region. Phase one of the project will be available to both Australian and allied users from other countries. The Queensland government is covering half of the $15 million cost using money from its $180 million Sovereign Industry Development Fund.

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie attended a missile launch at the range and spoke about why the project matters. He said weapons makers in Australia currently have to travel interstate or overseas just to test their products. 'This is the sort of facility you can't do in South East Queensland,' he said. He joked that people in Brisbane would not be happy with rockets launching from their neighbourhoods.

Bulloo Shire Mayor John 'Tractor' Ferguson was very enthusiastic about what the project could mean for his community. He said most small towns in the outback are always looking for new industries beyond just local council work. Cr Ferguson compared the growth of defence industries to the oil boom the region experienced back in the 1980s. 'I remember when they first established Jackson's oil fields back in the 80s — straight away there was a new motel built in Thargomindah,' he said. He believes the new facility could bring a similar wave of activity and economic growth to the area.