Mr KURRUPUWU - 2012-10-30
Has the minister conducted any assessment on the current state of our road networking structure? Can the minister provide an update on what will be required to turn the Territory into a three-hub economy based on mining and energy, tourism and education, and food production?
ANSWER
Thank you very much, member for Arafura. It is fantastic to hear an important question like that because the member for Arafura understands the need for developing our economy, particularly in regional and remote areas, something the former government completely forgot about.
One of the things I have done since becoming the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure is to review our roads and work out, if we are going to support the three-hub economy, what type of infrastructure we need. The member for Arafura has said to me that we need support to get the roads built on the Tiwis so we can get the wood chip out as part of development on the Tiwis. They need port access, something the previous government argued against; they actually flew to Singapore to argue against the Tiwis being developed. They committed to not supporting the Tiwis. But we are committed.
I know the member for Daly is very keen on the Port Keats road, I heard this opposition before, bagging the Port Keats road. They are very keen to throw bad words at the member for Daly. They are very keen to try to provide disparaging comments, but the member for Daly came to me asking how we can get infrastructure built to provide economic opportunities to the region in the Daly out to Wadeye? I told him to leave it with me and I will do some work.
I know the member for Stuart wants work on the Tanami, the member for Namatjira wants work on the Plenty, the member for Arnhem wants bridges at Ngukurr. For each of those commitments I have written to the federal Infrastructure minister asking him to help us, join us in a partnership and develop those roads. I have asked for 40 km in Port Keats, two bridges in Ngukurr, the continuation in the Tanami, the Sandover. We are starting to think about how we can do the outback highway into the future for the benefit of the Northern Territory. These are things we are doing for the three-hub economy. This is how we are going to develop the Northern Territory.
We are committed to the regions – the remote areas of the Northern Territory.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Why was there not a single cent in the election commitments for the bush roads?
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, please be seated.
Mr GILES: I spoke about 40 km for the Port Keats road and I would have loved to have done more in my submission. I would have loved to have done more for the Northern Territory in our application, but there is a problem with the finance ratings of the Northern Territory. We are hindered by our ratings: our DDD rating of debt, deficit and Delia, who put us in a terrible position so we do not have the money to build the infrastructure we want for the future.
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member should direct his comments through the Chair.
Mr GILES: Debt, deficit and Delia, Madam Speaker.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
ANSWER
Thank you very much, member for Arafura. It is fantastic to hear an important question like that because the member for Arafura understands the need for developing our economy, particularly in regional and remote areas, something the former government completely forgot about.
One of the things I have done since becoming the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure is to review our roads and work out, if we are going to support the three-hub economy, what type of infrastructure we need. The member for Arafura has said to me that we need support to get the roads built on the Tiwis so we can get the wood chip out as part of development on the Tiwis. They need port access, something the previous government argued against; they actually flew to Singapore to argue against the Tiwis being developed. They committed to not supporting the Tiwis. But we are committed.
I know the member for Daly is very keen on the Port Keats road, I heard this opposition before, bagging the Port Keats road. They are very keen to throw bad words at the member for Daly. They are very keen to try to provide disparaging comments, but the member for Daly came to me asking how we can get infrastructure built to provide economic opportunities to the region in the Daly out to Wadeye? I told him to leave it with me and I will do some work.
I know the member for Stuart wants work on the Tanami, the member for Namatjira wants work on the Plenty, the member for Arnhem wants bridges at Ngukurr. For each of those commitments I have written to the federal Infrastructure minister asking him to help us, join us in a partnership and develop those roads. I have asked for 40 km in Port Keats, two bridges in Ngukurr, the continuation in the Tanami, the Sandover. We are starting to think about how we can do the outback highway into the future for the benefit of the Northern Territory. These are things we are doing for the three-hub economy. This is how we are going to develop the Northern Territory.
We are committed to the regions – the remote areas of the Northern Territory.
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Why was there not a single cent in the election commitments for the bush roads?
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, please be seated.
Mr GILES: I spoke about 40 km for the Port Keats road and I would have loved to have done more in my submission. I would have loved to have done more for the Northern Territory in our application, but there is a problem with the finance ratings of the Northern Territory. We are hindered by our ratings: our DDD rating of debt, deficit and Delia, who put us in a terrible position so we do not have the money to build the infrastructure we want for the future.
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The member should direct his comments through the Chair.
Mr GILES: Debt, deficit and Delia, Madam Speaker.
Mr ELFERINK (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016