NT Mining Minister Gerard Maley accused of ‘beers for the boys trip’ accruing $5594 in travel expenses

The NT’s Deputy Chief Minister Gerard Maley has been unable to explain a $5600 bill after two taxpayer funded trip Daly Waters to inspect fracking sites.

Assistant Mining Minister Khoda Patel, Barkly MP Steve Edgington, Tamboran Resources workers Joel and Faron and Mining Minister Gerard Maley outside the Daly Waters pub on January 30, 2025. Picture: Facebook

The Territory’s Mining Minister has been accused of using taxpayer money in a ‘beers for the boys’ adventure after failing to explain more than $5600 in travel expenses.

During Estimates on Thursday, Deputy Chief Minister Gerard Maley was asked to explain the expenses from two trips to Daly Waters which totalled $8869.41.

The Intrastate Ministerial Travel logs revealed these two trips to Daly Waters — which is 570km from his Howard Springs electorate.

Mr Maley said he billed taxpayers $4151.70 on November 7 to “meet stakeholders on site”, with $2,785.33 in “other” expenses.

On January 30, Mr Maley spent another $4717.71 in another Daly Waters stakeholder meeting, with $2809.03 in undisclosed spending.

Mr Maley told Estimates that both these trip were to visit Tamboran’s Shenandoah South Pilot Project in the Beetaloo Sub-basin.

Mining and Energy Minister Gerard Maley recently visited the Beetaloo to inspect current operations by Tamboran Resources at its Shenandoah South site on Exploration Permit 98.

In a Facebook post following the January trip, Mr Maley said he attended with Barkly MP Steve Edgington, and Assistant Mining Minister Khoda Patel alongside Territory Coordinator Stuart Knowles, and Tamboran Resources CEO Joel Riddle.

Mr Edgington’s travel disclosure said between January 26 and February 2 he visited Pamayu in the Beetaloo basin, however his “other” expenses were just $24.85.

On Thursday Shadow Attorney-General Chansey Paech asked Mr Maley to explain the $5594.36 in “other” expenses, including a full breakdown of the costs of the two trips to Daly Waters.

(L to R) Stuart Knowles, interim Territory Coordinator, Khoda Patel, Asst Minister Mining and Energy, Steve Edgington, Minister for Essential Services, Gerard Maley, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Mining and Energy, Joe Riddle Tamboran Chief Executive Officer

Mr Maley requested the question be put on notice, with his response to be provided at a later date.

Mr Chansey questioned if the minister’s undisclosed spending was a “beers for the boys” adventure, but Mr Maley maintained that the two $8900 trips had served the taxpayers’ interests.

Mr Maley said the two trips — just 85 days apart — were critical to his role as the Mining Minister as he was inspecting the two major fracking sites.

Outside of parliament, Mr Paech said it was “unbelievable” that the deputy Chief Minister could not explain $5600 in “other” expenses.

“He needs to immediately explain to Territorians what he spent this money on,” he said.

Originally published as NT Mining Minister Gerard Maley accused of ‘beers for the boys trip’ accruing $5594 in travel expenses