Thank you, Deputy Speaker.
I am so proud to be part of an Albanese Labor Government that sees the full potential of the Northern Territory.
And not just that – a Government that is putting its money where its mouth is and investing in order to bring that full potential to life.
The Territory has long been referred to as the Gateway to Asia, and the Food Bowl of Asia, given our geographic proximity to our Indo-Pacific neighbours, and our growing capacity.
We’re an hour’s flight from Dili, two and a half hours from Bali, four hours to Jakarta, Manila, and Singapore.
All of those international cities are closer to Darwin than Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide or Perth.
So it’s not surprising that the Territory has always looked north.
We understand maybe more than most what it is to be part of a global community.
We feel it, and we see it on our streets.
More than 30 per cent of Territorians speak a language other than English.
We have a large and vibrant migrant community.
There are so many opportunities in northern Australia.
At the Australia Indonesia Business Council conference in Darwin recently, we heard that Indonesia is Australia’s 10th largest trading partner.
But it’s the Territory’s sixth.
And there’s so much more we can do to grow this relationship, especially as we look towards the possibilities that a cleaner, greener economy can bring.
Sun Cable is the world’s largest solar power project, based in the Territory.
It will transmit solar energy via undersea cable through Indonesia to Singapore, as well as facilitating solar power for the Territory.
Both the Territory and Indonesia are rich in critical minerals, and there are opportunities for us to consider merging our supply chains, so that Indonesia might help refine Australian lithium, for example, and manufacture it into batteries for a global market.
We can also invest in our people-to-people links, by providing education to Indonesian students, both in Australia and Indonesia, helping upskill them for the industries of the future.
Having strong, powerful relationships with our near neighbour is so important.
It breeds cooperation and mutual understanding.
And there are many ways we can help one another.
The Albanese Labor Government is working hard to shrink the former Government’s backlog of more than a million visa applications, employing hundreds and hundreds more staff to get this vital processing done.
We all know we’re facing a post-COVID labor and skills shortage, and we need to do more to attract skilled migrants to Australia.
And we also need to streamline visa processes to get more regional and seasonal workers in.
We won’t be able to tap the full potential of the Territory’s industry unless we have a trained and willing labour force on hand to help us do this vital work.
There was so much in the Government’s first Budget for the Territory, and so much that underlines the understanding that by investing in infrastructure, skills, and our local communities, we are building a better Australia.
Our regions are central to that.
And building better regions is exactly what the Albanese Government is committed to doing.
In this Budget, we saw a whopping $2.5 billion investment in infrastructure in the Territory.
That includes the much-discussed $1.5 billion for the Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct, which will house Sun Cable, and also clean green hydrogen and ammonia, which are essential to our pivot towards renewables.
I’d like to see the manufacture of solar panels and a data storage centre located there as well.
We’re spending $300 million on shoring up the Darwin Region Water Supply Program.
We know that water security is essential.
It is one of our most precious resources. And we need to future-proof our water supply for a growing population, and as we face a warming planet.
This will give Top Enders a reliable, secure, climate-resilient water future.
We will work with the NT Government to return the Manton Dam to service, and deliver critical water supply upgrades to the Strauss Water Treatment Plant and transfer pumps and pipelines.
The project will also fund preconstruction activities to further develop the Adelaide River Off Stream Water Storage (AROWS) project.
These projects will help to unlock opportunities for agricultural, industrial and urban water users, including at Middle Arm.
The Budget also focused on delivering over a billion in roads funding to the Territory – because our Government understands that a country with good roads has more secure and resilient supply chains, and a safer community.
In Solomon, that means almost $30 million for the Tiger Brennan Drive overpass at Berrimah Road, a dangerous intersection where lives have been lost.
This will ease commuting for some 20,000 Territorians who use Tiger Brennan each day, as well as making it easier for trucks to get in and out of the Port, boosting productivity for across the board.
This is a significant investment that will pay real dividends.
We’ve also committed almost $30 million to new Commonwealth-supported university places at Charles Darwin Uni, the largest commitment to any single university in the country.
We are investing in skills and training for Territorians, with over $5 million for fee-free VET, or vocational education and training.
We’re also investing in the Solomon community to make it a safer and happier place to live for all residents.
That includes investing in health infrastructure, with $11.6 million for a new First Nations health clinic in Palmerston.
This will reach patients where they are, providing culturally appropriate care to reduce pressures on hospitals and to combat chronic disease.
We’ve also committed $11 million to CareFlight for a new medical evacuation helicopter that will give the Territory full coverage.
It will be a literal lifeline to remote Territorians.
We’ll also get an urgent care clinic in the Darwin-Palmerston region, another measure to ease pressure on our hospitals while providing emergency care to those who need it.
The Government is also investing in social infrastructure for at-risk Territorians.
I was proud to secure $5 million for a youth engagement hub for the northern suburbs, to give young people somewhere safe to hang out, and where they can access related services.
This will keep them off the streets, and will help reduce youth offending.
We’ve also got $1 million for the Darwin Men’s Shed to relocate to Marrara.
It’ll be co-located with a $3.6 million facility for veterans’ supported accommodation, for veterans and first responders who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
It will connect them to relevant health, employment and counselling services to help get them back on their feet.
Those who gave so much in service of this country deserve to have this safety net for when they’re struggling, and I’m very proud to have secured it.
We also have $3.2 million for accommodation for women and children fleeing domestic and family violence.
Investments are also being made in one of our greatest resources, our beautiful environment, with $3.8 million to support four urban creeks across Darwin and Palmerston, keeping our waterways clean for many future generations to enjoy.
We’re spending almost $10 million to combat the invasive weed gamba grass, which fuels hot and destructive fires across the Territory and wreaks havoc with our native species.
And we’re investing in our local communities, which are the backbone of all societies.
That’s why we’re spending $7.5 million on the Casuarina Pool redevelopment.
Darwinites deserve the best amenities possible, and this complex will be a huge boost not only to health and recreation, but also amenity in our vibrant northern suburbs.
Similarly, we’ll spend $2.5 million building a new fishing club on the Elizabeth River for all Top End fishos to enjoy.
Fishing is the unofficial sport of the Territory, and we offer some of the best fishing in Australia.
Soon, we’ll have some excellent facilities to support that.
We have also made smaller but no less important commitments to local community groups, such as $500,000 for the Palmerston Scouts, funds for the Chinese Timorese Association and the Filipino Australian Association to fix their community halls.
And we’ve got $100,000 for the Kalymnian Brotherhood to conduct a scoping study to see if they can provide culturally appropriate care with a nursing home for Greek seniors.
Our Greek community has played such an important part in the growth of the Territory over the past 50 years or more, and seniors have contributed so much as working taxpayers.
It would be wonderful to be able to offer them a safe and comfortable retreat in their twilight years.
There has been a vast range of investments made in the Territory in this Federal Budget, Deputy Speaker.
They go hand in hand with our national-scale commitments around cost of living relief and boosting productivity, such as our child care plan and extended paid parental leave, investing in skills and transitioning to a clean economy.
What they all do is tell a story of a Government that believes in the Northern Territory and wants to see it flourish from top to bottom.
I’m immensely proud that I was able to lobby for and deliver funding for these Territory projects.
They will all help us continue to make the Territory the best place in Australia to call home.
I’m looking forward to seeing them all come to fruition.
