WA hosts Land Forces defence expo amid high security and protest concerns

Industry executives from 60 countries, almost 1,000 exhibiting organisations, 10 days of special police powers and $11.5 million for policing. These are the numbers behind this week's Land Forces defence expo as it makes its debut in Perth today.

The conference and trade show has marketed itself as a place to "discover the latest, cutting-edge land defence technologies" and connect with leaders across the sector.

But as groups prepare to protest the event and what's on display inside, in scenes the WA government hopes are not similar to clashes outside Melbourne's expo in 2024, one question remains: who is this expo really for and what is WA's role in it?

What is Land Forces?

The expo is hosted across the country every two years, and this year Perth is hosting it for the first time.

"This is an important event for Western Australia strategically, commercially, for a whole other range of reasons," WA Police Minister Reece Whitby said last week.

For the government, it's the perfect time to host an international conference of this magnitude, especially while it's trying to grow WA's defence industry.

While in Perth, delegates from across the Indo-Pacific, Europe, Asia and North America will tour Henderson, the home of AUKUS, as well as the Australian Automation and Robotics Precinct in Neerabup.

Strategically timed, the government hopes the tour-de-defence will help drive future investment in the state, diversify the economy, and create more local jobs.

Economic growth and defence industries

With economic growth on the minds of the state's leaders, are they comfortable with the expo's contents and the major weapons companies featured?

Some, for example, produce counter-drones and AI-driven autonomous combat systems designed to swarm at scale.

"I am, look defence industries is something which is going to be an important opportunity for Western Australia," WA Premier and Defence Industries Minister Roger Cook said on Sunday.

"We can't overlook the fact or hide our heads in the sand that we live in a geopolitically, very important and strategic area."

Mr Whitby agreed, saying the expo relates to WA's "strategic security and that's important".

Police powers and protest

The expo is funded by the state and commonwealth governments — but the extent of that financial backing is not publicly known.

Organisers refused to reveal the cost while the state government cited commercial-in-confidence when asked how much it kicked in.

Temporary extra police powers have been granted, with police being handed an extra $11.5 million to provide security.

"We know from the experience in Victoria that there will be people who want to protest the Land Forces conference, I respect that, this is a democracy," Mr Cook said on Monday.

"They have the right to protest, but they have to protest peacefully and respectfully and within the laws of the state."

Greens MLC Sophie McNeill says the protest scene in Perth is different to the east coast.

"We have a peaceful protest movement here in Western Australia, we don't think that you need to spend $11.5 million buying police fancy new hardware," she said last week.

WA Anti-War Collective's Sam Wainwright said: "The notion that there could be violence by protesters is frankly a smokescreen, it's actually the violence of people that will be exhibiting that is the issue."