Australian Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition spokeswoman Hannah Middleton said protestors would stage a peaceful blockade outside the Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area in Queensland state, the centre of operations for the exercise codenamed Talisman Saber.

"We will blockade the gate to stop or at least delay the Talisman Saber military exercises," she said in a statement.

"If the US or Australian military try to bring personnel or equipment through the gate into Shoalwater Bay, we will non-violently stop them for as long as we can."

The activists alleged millions of dollars has been diverted from health and education programmes to pay for "war preparations".

More than 11,000 US and 6,000 Australian military personnel will participate in Talisman Saber, the first of what will be biennial exercises between the allies.

The exercise ends on June 30.

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