Mr BURKE - 2005-08-24
The Alcan Gove G3 expansion is an important project for the Northern Territory. Can you please update the House on new developments that are backing Northern Territory businesses to benefit from this $2bn project?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Brennan for his question. Not only is the Alcan Gove G3 expansion an important project, it is a very exciting project for the Northern Territory, for people on the Gove Peninsula, and also the local member, who always gives us updates on how that project is going every time he comes back from Nhulunbuy.
We are talking about a $2bn project on the Gove Peninsula on the back, yesterday, of a $77m investment in Darwin on a new biodiesel plant. Certainly, there is massive confidence in the Northern Territory economy at the moment.
Alcan Gove, as the member said, is spending $2bn over the next three years to boost its alumina production capacity from two2 to 3.8 million tonnes per year, so nearly doubling the capacity of the mine.
Over the next three years, up to 1750 jobs will be created during the construction phrase, and another 120 new jobs will be created once the construction is completed. That is a massive job creation project.
Mr Stirling: It is going very well.
Mr HENDERSON: It has been going well, to pick up on the member for Nhulunbuy. Not only is this a great project for Alcan, work has already been flowing to local industry and Northern Territory business. I know that Alcan has a great commitment to sourcing, wherever it can, from Northern Territory business, and they have a very good track record and are building on that.
After months of discussions, I am very pleased to announce today that Alcan haves made a substantial commitment to Northern Territory suppliers and contractors and the creation of local jobs. Whilst a $2bn project may sound as though it is only good for big business, there are lots ofmany opportunities for small and medium enterprises to get involved.
Alcan haves highlighted just some of the opportunities for business in the Gove area, including the construction of the workers village, maintenance of the village, wood chipping, sand supply, cross-cultural training, airconditioning and general trucking. Territory-wide, there is civil works, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation works, pre-assembly - a huge range of industries, opening up a host of opportunities.
The way this is all being coordinated is that Alcan is working with my dDepartment of Business, Economic and Regional Development and the NTICN in running ongoing procurement forums, to be held through the different stages of the life of the project. Not only are they going to be holding those procurement forums, they are going to be providing feedback on unsuccessful tenders so those companies can make improvements in the future. That is a huge commitment from a company. It is part of the Northern Territory government procurement process, butand a company on a massive project like that taking the time to debrief unsuccessful tenderers should be congratulated.
They have already established a recruitment and training office in Darwin, which will target skilled workers coming off the Wickham Point gas plant as that is completed. I am also pleased to advise that Alcan is working with my colleague, the Education minister’s department, to provide upskilling and training for its workers.
This is a great project by a great company that has been in the Northern Territory for many years now. It is a real commitment to Territory business. I am pleased to say that this government and the ICN are playing our part in pulling all the parties together to maximise opportunities for Northern Territory business from this project.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Brennan for his question. Not only is the Alcan Gove G3 expansion an important project, it is a very exciting project for the Northern Territory, for people on the Gove Peninsula, and also the local member, who always gives us updates on how that project is going every time he comes back from Nhulunbuy.
We are talking about a $2bn project on the Gove Peninsula on the back, yesterday, of a $77m investment in Darwin on a new biodiesel plant. Certainly, there is massive confidence in the Northern Territory economy at the moment.
Alcan Gove, as the member said, is spending $2bn over the next three years to boost its alumina production capacity from two2 to 3.8 million tonnes per year, so nearly doubling the capacity of the mine.
Over the next three years, up to 1750 jobs will be created during the construction phrase, and another 120 new jobs will be created once the construction is completed. That is a massive job creation project.
Mr Stirling: It is going very well.
Mr HENDERSON: It has been going well, to pick up on the member for Nhulunbuy. Not only is this a great project for Alcan, work has already been flowing to local industry and Northern Territory business. I know that Alcan has a great commitment to sourcing, wherever it can, from Northern Territory business, and they have a very good track record and are building on that.
After months of discussions, I am very pleased to announce today that Alcan haves made a substantial commitment to Northern Territory suppliers and contractors and the creation of local jobs. Whilst a $2bn project may sound as though it is only good for big business, there are lots ofmany opportunities for small and medium enterprises to get involved.
Alcan haves highlighted just some of the opportunities for business in the Gove area, including the construction of the workers village, maintenance of the village, wood chipping, sand supply, cross-cultural training, airconditioning and general trucking. Territory-wide, there is civil works, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation works, pre-assembly - a huge range of industries, opening up a host of opportunities.
The way this is all being coordinated is that Alcan is working with my dDepartment of Business, Economic and Regional Development and the NTICN in running ongoing procurement forums, to be held through the different stages of the life of the project. Not only are they going to be holding those procurement forums, they are going to be providing feedback on unsuccessful tenders so those companies can make improvements in the future. That is a huge commitment from a company. It is part of the Northern Territory government procurement process, butand a company on a massive project like that taking the time to debrief unsuccessful tenderers should be congratulated.
They have already established a recruitment and training office in Darwin, which will target skilled workers coming off the Wickham Point gas plant as that is completed. I am also pleased to advise that Alcan is working with my colleague, the Education minister’s department, to provide upskilling and training for its workers.
This is a great project by a great company that has been in the Northern Territory for many years now. It is a real commitment to Territory business. I am pleased to say that this government and the ICN are playing our part in pulling all the parties together to maximise opportunities for Northern Territory business from this project.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016