Defence activities contribute to the training and operation of Australia’s defence forces. In Queensland, financial outputs from defence activities amounted to $573 million for the 2020–21 financial year.1198 Coastal communities within the Catchment benefit economically from defence activities, primarily through increased employment from infrastructure projects.1212 Benefits are also seen during training exercises. For example, Exercise Talisman Sabre, which utilises locations both within and outside the Region, welcomed more than 34,000 military personnel from 13 different countries in 2023.1213 Through historical monitoring, the Australian Department of Defence has contributed to knowledge on the current condition (and trend in condition) of species such as marine turtles, dugongs and seagrass. For example, the Department of Defence contributed to a range of research projects within the Region, including a survey of dugong populations for the southern Reef, including Shoalwater Bay.522
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