Ms SACILOTTO - 2007-08-30
The Darwin waterfront and convention centre is bringing hundreds of jobs to the Territory and will continue to do so for many years. Can you update the House on the latest developments on the waterfront and advise whether there are any alternate approaches?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Port Darwin for the question. We were both at the waterfront just before lunch to witness the first concrete pour on the beginning of two new hotels that are being built there. I am sure the member for Port Darwin has scraped the mud off her boots now - I had to scrape the mud off mine. It was great to be there, because one of the final elements of Stage 1 of the waterfront is starting to take shape. Importantly, those two new hotels - the Medina Apartment Hotel, that is 121 rooms, and the 120-room Vibe Hotel - are a $100m private sector investment into the waterfront and there are 200 jobs with just these hotels. Already, $14m worth of local contracts have been let to local businesses on the development of these two hotels.
The NTICN is working with Toga, the developers of the hotel, to ensure they have the relevant trade packages in place to enable more businesses to take part in the benefits from building these hotels at the waterfront. Both hotels are scheduled to open in early 2009. Considering our accommodation market is still really tight as we get to the end of August, these hotels will be most welcomed.
The waterfront is taking shape. We have the convention centre, which really looks stunning, opening by the middle of next year, with conventions starting there. The wave pool is on track for May next year, the sea wall is 99% complete, and next month, the cruise ship terminal starts. We are really starting to see much of the shape of the waterfront take place.
I know the opposition does not like the project. Whatever we do, the opposition does not like the project. Last night, in here, they were going to extraordinary lengths to put down the waterfront project. I am stunned that they can be so negative about something that is so positive for the Territory. Why would you ever consider having them in charge of the economy that we have helped to make so strong? You just would not let them near it.
I will quickly look at the details of the project they are criticising. We have 25 ha of old industrial land that will be developed into a signature capital city. It will bring millions of additional dollars into the Territory, and all of it is new money in a new market. It leverages millions of dollars worth of private sector investments in other projects, and just remember, of the entire waterfront project, taxpayers’ dollars make up 14%. If you do the maths on that, the vast majority is coming from the private sector. So an investment from Territory taxpayers has actually leveraged something like $900m worth of private sector investment. The waterfront is expected to provide a wider economic benefit, $350m over the next 20 years, and the opposition puts it down; the convention centre is expected to generate an additional $193m for tourism over the same period, and the opposition does not want it; and 85% of contracts from the waterfront, do you know where they are going, Madam Speaker? To local business. And what do we have? An opposition which puts it down. The project has already created hundreds of jobs, and by the time it is finished there will be something like 1200 jobs generated in its construction – and the opposition puts it down.
We know the opposition does not like to see a growing economy, an increase in jobs, more tourists and making Darwin an even better place to live, work and invest, but, every other Territorian does.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Port Darwin for the question. We were both at the waterfront just before lunch to witness the first concrete pour on the beginning of two new hotels that are being built there. I am sure the member for Port Darwin has scraped the mud off her boots now - I had to scrape the mud off mine. It was great to be there, because one of the final elements of Stage 1 of the waterfront is starting to take shape. Importantly, those two new hotels - the Medina Apartment Hotel, that is 121 rooms, and the 120-room Vibe Hotel - are a $100m private sector investment into the waterfront and there are 200 jobs with just these hotels. Already, $14m worth of local contracts have been let to local businesses on the development of these two hotels.
The NTICN is working with Toga, the developers of the hotel, to ensure they have the relevant trade packages in place to enable more businesses to take part in the benefits from building these hotels at the waterfront. Both hotels are scheduled to open in early 2009. Considering our accommodation market is still really tight as we get to the end of August, these hotels will be most welcomed.
The waterfront is taking shape. We have the convention centre, which really looks stunning, opening by the middle of next year, with conventions starting there. The wave pool is on track for May next year, the sea wall is 99% complete, and next month, the cruise ship terminal starts. We are really starting to see much of the shape of the waterfront take place.
I know the opposition does not like the project. Whatever we do, the opposition does not like the project. Last night, in here, they were going to extraordinary lengths to put down the waterfront project. I am stunned that they can be so negative about something that is so positive for the Territory. Why would you ever consider having them in charge of the economy that we have helped to make so strong? You just would not let them near it.
I will quickly look at the details of the project they are criticising. We have 25 ha of old industrial land that will be developed into a signature capital city. It will bring millions of additional dollars into the Territory, and all of it is new money in a new market. It leverages millions of dollars worth of private sector investments in other projects, and just remember, of the entire waterfront project, taxpayers’ dollars make up 14%. If you do the maths on that, the vast majority is coming from the private sector. So an investment from Territory taxpayers has actually leveraged something like $900m worth of private sector investment. The waterfront is expected to provide a wider economic benefit, $350m over the next 20 years, and the opposition puts it down; the convention centre is expected to generate an additional $193m for tourism over the same period, and the opposition does not want it; and 85% of contracts from the waterfront, do you know where they are going, Madam Speaker? To local business. And what do we have? An opposition which puts it down. The project has already created hundreds of jobs, and by the time it is finished there will be something like 1200 jobs generated in its construction – and the opposition puts it down.
We know the opposition does not like to see a growing economy, an increase in jobs, more tourists and making Darwin an even better place to live, work and invest, but, every other Territorian does.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016