Mr KNIGHT - 2006-02-16
Regional development is essential for the sustainable economic development of the Northern Territory. Can you please update the House on the latest major development to be delivered to drive the economic development of the Dundee region?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. It has been great news for the people of the Daly region and I am talking about the powerline project that government is currently rolling out. Just a few months ago, before Christmas, I had the opportunity to travel to Dundee with the member for Daly and saw the very exciting projects being rolled out and …
Dr Lim: Dundee Downs need it too.
Mr HENDERSON: Did I hear a voice from the wilderness? A hollow voice from the wilderness on the other side of the House, Madam Speaker?
Dr Lim: Dundee Downs.
Mr HENDERSON: Sorry, I missed the interjection.
Dr Lim: Dundee Downs. I will repeat it for you: Dundee Downs.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, order.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, I do not know if the member for Greatorex has ever been to that part of the Territory. However, I was there and the member for Daly has just been there switching on the power. We put more infrastructure into the Dundee region in the four years that we have been in government than the previous government did since the region was developed some many years. So the member for Greatorex should probably sit and listen because when they were in government they did nothing.
About $6.3m has so far been spent on the joint government/PowerWater project. It is the largest powerline infrastructure project in the Territory in the last 20 years, and a real example of what can be achieved by good economic management. Three budget surpluses in a row gives us the financial capacity to invest in our great Northern Territory and to deliver better services for Territorians. About 600 power poles have been erected and more than 380 km of powerline have been strung since work began to extend the network to the Dundee Beach area in February 2004. That is not a mirage, member for Greatorex, that is real infrastructure that the people out there are celebrating.
Work is continuing to install substations to supply a number of customers along the mainline route and people whose property fronts Namarada Drive, Fogg Bay Road and Cox Peninsula Road, and they will have the opportunity to progressively connect to town power this year. It is expected that about 200 customers will take the power supply initially - a real sign of our commitment to regional development. Not only does that supply electrification to those blocks, it will spur investment out there. I talked to a number of business operators who were very keen, and in fact there was construction activity already happening, pre-empting the fact that the power was coming. It will spur real investment in the region.
Another exciting power project, Madam Speaker, is the undergrounding of power in Nightcliff and Rapid Creek that I know that you were watching with great interest.
The boring works have now been completed to 686 properties in Nightcliff and 14.5 km of footpath have been laid to support the transition for overhead power lines to more reliable underground power. The first 329 properties have been changed over to the new system, and power poles and conductors removed. The installation of electrical cables has recently commenced at the remaining 369 properties in Nightcliff, and detailed design work is nearing completion for the first 333 properties in Rapid Creek.
This is a government that is getting on with the job, with investing in infrastructure in the Northern Territory, not only to deliver better services to Territorians, but also to spur further investments in the economic boom that is happening across the Territory at the moment.
Members: Hear, hear!
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. It has been great news for the people of the Daly region and I am talking about the powerline project that government is currently rolling out. Just a few months ago, before Christmas, I had the opportunity to travel to Dundee with the member for Daly and saw the very exciting projects being rolled out and …
Dr Lim: Dundee Downs need it too.
Mr HENDERSON: Did I hear a voice from the wilderness? A hollow voice from the wilderness on the other side of the House, Madam Speaker?
Dr Lim: Dundee Downs.
Mr HENDERSON: Sorry, I missed the interjection.
Dr Lim: Dundee Downs. I will repeat it for you: Dundee Downs.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Greatorex, order.
Mr HENDERSON: Madam Speaker, I do not know if the member for Greatorex has ever been to that part of the Territory. However, I was there and the member for Daly has just been there switching on the power. We put more infrastructure into the Dundee region in the four years that we have been in government than the previous government did since the region was developed some many years. So the member for Greatorex should probably sit and listen because when they were in government they did nothing.
About $6.3m has so far been spent on the joint government/PowerWater project. It is the largest powerline infrastructure project in the Territory in the last 20 years, and a real example of what can be achieved by good economic management. Three budget surpluses in a row gives us the financial capacity to invest in our great Northern Territory and to deliver better services for Territorians. About 600 power poles have been erected and more than 380 km of powerline have been strung since work began to extend the network to the Dundee Beach area in February 2004. That is not a mirage, member for Greatorex, that is real infrastructure that the people out there are celebrating.
Work is continuing to install substations to supply a number of customers along the mainline route and people whose property fronts Namarada Drive, Fogg Bay Road and Cox Peninsula Road, and they will have the opportunity to progressively connect to town power this year. It is expected that about 200 customers will take the power supply initially - a real sign of our commitment to regional development. Not only does that supply electrification to those blocks, it will spur investment out there. I talked to a number of business operators who were very keen, and in fact there was construction activity already happening, pre-empting the fact that the power was coming. It will spur real investment in the region.
Another exciting power project, Madam Speaker, is the undergrounding of power in Nightcliff and Rapid Creek that I know that you were watching with great interest.
The boring works have now been completed to 686 properties in Nightcliff and 14.5 km of footpath have been laid to support the transition for overhead power lines to more reliable underground power. The first 329 properties have been changed over to the new system, and power poles and conductors removed. The installation of electrical cables has recently commenced at the remaining 369 properties in Nightcliff, and detailed design work is nearing completion for the first 333 properties in Rapid Creek.
This is a government that is getting on with the job, with investing in infrastructure in the Northern Territory, not only to deliver better services to Territorians, but also to spur further investments in the economic boom that is happening across the Territory at the moment.
Members: Hear, hear!
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016