New Tennant to Darwin industrial corridor planned

Under chief minister Eva Lawler, the Territory Labor Government is 100 per cent behind a gas future. Read what’s planned.

Unlike her predecessors, who tip-toed around with gas, Territory Labor leader and chief minister Eva Lawler is embracing the product and the sector.

Famously, Michael Gunner announced a fracking moratorium pending the results of an inquiry into the process before Labor won the 2016 NT election, just months after the previous CLP Government had delivered its own report green-lighting fracking in the Beetaloo Basin.

Michael Gunner’s successor, Natasha Fyles, refused to publicly support Santos’ Barossa gas project and under her watch the word ‘petroleum’ was removed from a website promoting the Middle Arm sustainable development precinct.

Australian Energy Producers NT director David Slama and chief minister Eva Lawler.

Ms Lawler is far less squeamish, talking up the gas industry at every opportunity in the knowledge that without development of the Territory’s significant onshore and offshore gas resources, the social issues that divide our community will never change.

In the process, she put taxpayer’s money where her mouth is, signing-up the Territory to a 15-year gas sales agreement with Tamboran Resources to supply almost two-thirds of the Territory’s gas requirements from its Beetaloo Basin field.

Unlike her predecessors, Ms Lawler also condemned the judicial delays to Santos’ Barossa gas project and she censured the Environmental Defender’s Office, which had contributed to the delays.

The Territory Government believes Middle Arm is a nation-building project designed to maximise the Territory’s gas bounty, centred around the Beetaloo, about 500km south of Darwin.

Encouraging diverse investment in a sustainable industrial precinct using common user principles will decrease initial capital costs, de-risk private sector investment and provide clear pathways to secure regulatory approvals.

The government wants Middle Arm to become a globally competitive energy hub supporting up to 20,000 Territory jobs, focused on future industries including critical minerals battery processing, renewables, carbon capture and low-emission energy and fuels including LNG.

As well as underwriting Middle Arm with $1.5bn equity, the Commonwealth has contributed $440m to develop regional logistics hubs in Tennant Creek and Katherine with common user infrastructure to improve the Territory’s rail efficiency and capacity.

To further value-add the Territory’s resources bounty, the government is investigating developing an infrastructure corridor from Tennant Creek to Darwin that would support future development of emerging industries.

A prefeasibility study found that the corridor could potentially include infrastructure assets including a gas pipeline, a natural gas liquids pipeline, an oil pipeline, hydrogen pipeline, utility and services including water, electricity and other mains and communications including fibre optic.