Inside the monolithic steel and concrete fortress that will become the country's first missile factory lies just the beginning of Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy's ambitions for advanced manufacturing in the Hunter.
Offered a rare glimpse inside the highly secure, complex build at the Kongsberg missile factory topping-out ceremony on Tuesday, Mr Conroy said he is confident there will be a strong export market for guided weapons built in Newcastle.
"My vision for the Australian defence industry is to replace the automotive sector that unfortunately, and sadly and disgracefully, we lost a decade ago as the bedrock of Aussie manufacturing," he said.
"We're still on schedule for early 2027 and the plan is that we'll be producing missiles by the end of 2027."
The $850 million facility at Williamtown will become one of only two in the world capable of making naval strike missiles and joint strike missiles.
More than 10,000 Hunter residents work in the defence industry. Mr Conroy expects that number to grow, with the Kongsberg factory forecast to create 100 direct jobs and $100 million in economic benefits.
Mr Conroy said Newcastle had a "proud tradition" of contributing to the defence industry, going back to BHP contributing to critical armaments and munitions during World War II.
"There's huge opportunities to come. I want to see it, and I know that in some quarters there's a very small vocal minority opposed to this, often they're clambering on top of my bloody office building in Belmont rather than doing something constructive," he said.
"I say that they're completely out of touch with what people in our community want.
"Our community want a well-equipped Australian Defence Force to help defend this country, and they want the jobs that go along with it, because if you don't make it here, jobs disappear, and that's why I'm so committed to this industry in the Hunter, and across the nation as a whole."
The factory has the capacity to build double what Australia needs, with the potential to export to allies or ramp up production if the geopolitical situation worsens.
Mr Conroy said there is a "huge global demand" for missiles. He said COVID-19, the Ukraine conflict and fuel crisis had demonstrated the importance of being first in line.
"You don't want to be at the end of the queue, you want to be at the head of the queue by building them here and contributing to our national self-reliance, our independence, and our sovereignty," he said.
"These missiles are designed to destroy ships, they're designed to put doubts in the minds of adversaries, so by equipping the navy and the air force with the most advanced stealth cruise missiles in the world, we deter aggression and promote peace."
Construction of the 9000-square-metre Kongsberg missile factory is the first defence project in the state for global contractor Multiplex.
The build has its own challenges, Multiplex construction manager Jeff Wall said, with complex technical, power, air-conditioning and communication requirements as well as security considerations.
"It's far from just a normal stock-standard precast building," he said.
"They have some components within this facility which produce an inordinate amount of heat, so we have to manage that as well, in a place like Australia, it's fairly difficult.
"In Norway, the way they manage it is to pump water from a frozen river, cool things down and pump it back. We don't have that benefit here, so we've had to take what has been developed in Norway, bring it back over here and get it away from European standards back to Australian standards."
Before next month's NSW budget, the Property Council is calling for a coordinated push from government to unlock similar opportunities across the region.
Property Council Hunter regional director Stephen Crowe said Williamtown and the Astra Aerolab precinct where the factory sits are perfect examples of smart government investment in regional NSW.
"The development of an international terminal and defence precinct in Williamtown has transformed the aspirations of our region and is a perfect example of government working with the private sector to drive economic outcomes in our region," he said.
"If we want to attract similar projects, we need to continue to make it easier to invest, that means planning certainty, shovel-ready employment land, and the infrastructure to support it."
At Tuesday's topping-out ceremony, a tree was lifted to the top of the building to mark it reaching its highest point.
