Federal government announces $174m funding to bolster NT gas infrastructure

THE federal government has put another $174m on the table to further accelerate exploration and the development of the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo Sub-basin.

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THE federal government has put another $174m on the table to further accelerate exploration and the development of the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo Sub-basin.

The funding comes on top of the $50m chipped in last month to support $200m of exploration activity before June 30, 2022.

The extra funding was revealed by acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack at the launch of the federal government’s ‘Unlocking the Beetaloo: The Beetaloo Strategic Basin Plan’ in Darwin yesterday.

The plan is the first deliverable under the gas-fired recovery strategy and is the first of five plans to be delivered under the strategic basin plans program announced in the 2020-21 federal budget.

The $174m in new NT road funding will be used to improve road safety, increase road reliability during the wet season and boost regional productivity.

Origin Energy’s Beetaloo Basin Kyalla well site. Picture: Supplied

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Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics Minister Eva Lawler said the federal government initiative would open up economic opportunities for the Northern Territory.

“We welcome dollars that go into roads of strategic importance in the Northern Territory,” she said.

“These are two big announcements. One is around infrastructure funding for roads … opening up those areas to economic development, whether it is an oil and gas industry, the cattle industry or tourism. The road improvements are beneficial to the community.

“The second is around road safety. The funding being provided to upgrade our highways, whether it be new barriers, road alerts new culverts, strengthening and widening all of those dollars are gratefully received.

“The Northern Territory government is very happy to partner with the federal government to make sure that Territorians are safe.”

Mr McCormack, who is also the federal minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, said the substantial investments in infrastructure would support the Beetaloo development, as well as directly benefit local communities, industry and pastoralists.

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“Across Australia, we continue to roll out these types of major projects which lay the economic foundations for our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and to enable the development of local industry, economic growth and job opportunities well into the future,” Mr McCormack said.

“The funding today is another critical part of the nation’s gas-led recovery.”