Mr BONSON - 2003-10-15
The Martin Labor government’s initiative to construct a business park at East Arm is providing valuable opportunities for companies associated with the railway and the port. Can the minister please provide an update to the House on progress with construction of the Darwin Business Park?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for the question. I would like to advise the House that the Martin government has committed a total of $11m for the construction of the Darwin Business Park in the East Arm development area, in order to provide the opportunity for business to establish themselves there and to have access to the Alice Springs to Darwin railway and the East Arm Wharf Stage 2. The business park offers connections to the national rail and highway networks, and access to a dedicated intermodal facility at East Arm Wharf, providing direct transfer to international shipping.
The work is progressing very well at the park: $3.5m earthworks contracts are complete. A local company, Henry Walker Eltin, was awarded a contract of $6.1m in August 2003 for subdivisional works including road, water, power, drainage and tourist services. Work is also complete on the $1.5m culvert supply contract. The subdivision development works are targeted to be completed in early 2004, but the foundation tenants have access to the development site now.
Honourable members would also be aware that Toll Holdings have announced a $70m two-stage development of a state-of-the-art freight consolidation and distribution centre in the new business park. Toll is Australia’s leading company in the transport and logistics sector, and will be the first business to establish itself in the new business park. I am advised that negotiations are well advanced with another major freight forwarder, who is interested in relocating to the business park. Their chief executive officer will be inspecting the development in the next few weeks.
As you are also aware, in July 2003, we established the Land Development Corporation. Mr Trevor Dalton has been appointed as the General Manager. The corporation will shortly release to the market expressions of interest documents seeking development proposals for the remaining rail frontage land. These will be marketed in South-East Asia, locally and internationally.
We will try to capitalise on the strong interest that has already been shown by a range of companies in having access to land in the business park. We are looking forward to some strong bids from companies that want to establish themselves there because it is an exciting new development. It is the only new development in Australia where you can actually establish yourself in a green field site and have direct access to an international port, a railway and a highway network.
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for the question. I would like to advise the House that the Martin government has committed a total of $11m for the construction of the Darwin Business Park in the East Arm development area, in order to provide the opportunity for business to establish themselves there and to have access to the Alice Springs to Darwin railway and the East Arm Wharf Stage 2. The business park offers connections to the national rail and highway networks, and access to a dedicated intermodal facility at East Arm Wharf, providing direct transfer to international shipping.
The work is progressing very well at the park: $3.5m earthworks contracts are complete. A local company, Henry Walker Eltin, was awarded a contract of $6.1m in August 2003 for subdivisional works including road, water, power, drainage and tourist services. Work is also complete on the $1.5m culvert supply contract. The subdivision development works are targeted to be completed in early 2004, but the foundation tenants have access to the development site now.
Honourable members would also be aware that Toll Holdings have announced a $70m two-stage development of a state-of-the-art freight consolidation and distribution centre in the new business park. Toll is Australia’s leading company in the transport and logistics sector, and will be the first business to establish itself in the new business park. I am advised that negotiations are well advanced with another major freight forwarder, who is interested in relocating to the business park. Their chief executive officer will be inspecting the development in the next few weeks.
As you are also aware, in July 2003, we established the Land Development Corporation. Mr Trevor Dalton has been appointed as the General Manager. The corporation will shortly release to the market expressions of interest documents seeking development proposals for the remaining rail frontage land. These will be marketed in South-East Asia, locally and internationally.
We will try to capitalise on the strong interest that has already been shown by a range of companies in having access to land in the business park. We are looking forward to some strong bids from companies that want to establish themselves there because it is an exciting new development. It is the only new development in Australia where you can actually establish yourself in a green field site and have direct access to an international port, a railway and a highway network.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016