Ms LAWRIE - 2003-11-27
There has been a great deal of interest expressed in how the Darwin Business Park is shaping up. I know it is of great interest to my constituents in Karama. We are looking forward to the exciting developments there.
Mr Dunham: It is packed out, they reckon. People are lining up to buy property there.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Karama, cease for a minute. I warned you yesterday, member for Drysdale, when questions are being asked they should be asked in silence, understand?
Mr Dunham: Thank you for your advice, Madam Speaker.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Could you please update the House on the expressions of interest process for this exciting Darwin Business Park?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. Earlier this month, I announced that the Land Development Corporation had called for expressions of interest for five rail front blocks in the Darwin Business Park area. The expressions of interest call has gone to local, interstate and international markets, including advertising in local, interstate and international newspapers, and in the Straits Times.
The member for Drysdale is absolutely right. People are queuing up to buy land in the Darwin Business Park. We have already received 22 formal applications for expressions of interest material from both local and interstate companies. Trevor Dalton, Executive Officer of the Land Development Corporation, has also taken representatives of national and international companies on tours of the Business Park site, and has reported a very positive response to these tours. Obviously, there is interest from national and international companies. You are absolutely right, member for Drysdale. People are queuing up to buy a block of land in the Darwin Business Park. They can identify the opportunities for Darwin, with the completion of the railway and the port and Darwin becoming the gateway to Asia, for export and also import.
The expressions of interest process will remain open until 15 January 2004. This government is supporting the Darwin Business Park and is prepared to spend $11m for the construction of hardware and for the subdivision of works in the area.
I am pleased to inform the House that Toll Holdings has already commenced construction of a $17m two-stage development of a state-of-the-art freight consolidation and distribution centre. Not only that, I confirm that Toll intends to take a further $1m expansion of stage one of its facilities, currently under construction. I invite all members – especially the member for Drysdale – to take a trip to the business park and look at the development. I was surprised when I saw that, within a very short period of time, the Darwin Railway Station was about 50% complete, and Toll’s big shed has gone up very quickly. That indicates a strong confidence of freight forwarding companies in the location of the Darwin Business Park, and very strong confidence in Darwin as a gateway to Asia.
I reiterate, we have already received 22 formal applications for the expressions of interest material from both local and interstate companies.
Mr Dunham: It is packed out, they reckon. People are lining up to buy property there.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Karama, cease for a minute. I warned you yesterday, member for Drysdale, when questions are being asked they should be asked in silence, understand?
Mr Dunham: Thank you for your advice, Madam Speaker.
Ms LAWRIE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Could you please update the House on the expressions of interest process for this exciting Darwin Business Park?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. Earlier this month, I announced that the Land Development Corporation had called for expressions of interest for five rail front blocks in the Darwin Business Park area. The expressions of interest call has gone to local, interstate and international markets, including advertising in local, interstate and international newspapers, and in the Straits Times.
The member for Drysdale is absolutely right. People are queuing up to buy land in the Darwin Business Park. We have already received 22 formal applications for expressions of interest material from both local and interstate companies. Trevor Dalton, Executive Officer of the Land Development Corporation, has also taken representatives of national and international companies on tours of the Business Park site, and has reported a very positive response to these tours. Obviously, there is interest from national and international companies. You are absolutely right, member for Drysdale. People are queuing up to buy a block of land in the Darwin Business Park. They can identify the opportunities for Darwin, with the completion of the railway and the port and Darwin becoming the gateway to Asia, for export and also import.
The expressions of interest process will remain open until 15 January 2004. This government is supporting the Darwin Business Park and is prepared to spend $11m for the construction of hardware and for the subdivision of works in the area.
I am pleased to inform the House that Toll Holdings has already commenced construction of a $17m two-stage development of a state-of-the-art freight consolidation and distribution centre. Not only that, I confirm that Toll intends to take a further $1m expansion of stage one of its facilities, currently under construction. I invite all members – especially the member for Drysdale – to take a trip to the business park and look at the development. I was surprised when I saw that, within a very short period of time, the Darwin Railway Station was about 50% complete, and Toll’s big shed has gone up very quickly. That indicates a strong confidence of freight forwarding companies in the location of the Darwin Business Park, and very strong confidence in Darwin as a gateway to Asia.
I reiterate, we have already received 22 formal applications for the expressions of interest material from both local and interstate companies.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016