NT’s future rests with mining as Middle Arm push wins local support

The Northern Territory business community has shown its very strong support for development at Middle Arm during Friday’s FutureNT forum. See what they did.

Deputy chief minister Nicole Manison delivered a strong defence of the government’s Middle Arm project, saying opponents were campaigning against a development that will reduce net emissions.

Speaking days after the Senate crossbench secured an another inquiry into the sustainable precinct development, Ms Manison told an audience of 250 at the FutureNT conference at Mindil Beach Casino Resort that Middle Arm would be a great green project.

“When it comes to environmental standards, we’re doing the highest level of assessment there, with a strategic baseline assessment there that’s going to include some really deep cultural assessments as well.

Matt Cunningham at the NT News second annual Futures Northern Territory. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin.

“My word to those with regards to that inquiry is that we’ll be happy to tell the great story and the opportunities that Middle Arm presents for the economy, creating new green jobs and decarbonising the world.”

That her comments were followed by a round of applause from audience members suggests there is strong support for the project from the Territory’s business community.

Sharing a stage with Ms Manison during a panel session moderated by Sky News’ Matt Cunningham were Tamboran chief executive Joel Riddle and Tivan executive chairman Grant Wilson who, along with three other proponents, have both been given 12-month ‘not to deal’ commitments to prove their business case for development at Middle Arm.

Simon Kuestenmacher at the NT News second annual Futures Northern Territory. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin.

Tamboran hopes low-emission gas from the Beetaloo field will reduce carbon emissions by 60 million tonnes — the equivalent to replacing every single Australian car with an electric vehicle.

“We think that it’s very important to ensure that before we start producing gas beyond the Northern Territory is that the Northern Territory gas market is well supplied and that’s something we’re very focused on.

“On the platform of that initial production we will look to develop about 1000TJs a day, which is about two-thirds of the current east coast market, so very impressive, inspirational gas production to the east coast market and another 1000TJs a day that will look to bring into Middle Arm for phase one of the Middle Arm project.”

Nicole Manison, Joel Riddle, Professor Reuben Bolt and Grant Wilson at FutureNT panel discussion moderated by Sky News’ Matt Cunningham. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin.

Grant Wilson said the company plans to mine and process vanadium from WA’s Speewah deposit about 100km from Wyndham to manufacture vanadium redox flow batteries at Middle Arm.

‘To do that I’ll need a tonne of power,” he said. “It’s an incredibly complex process we’re working on with CSIRO it will take further time to develop it and we’ll have to pilot it and the pilot will be built at East Arm.

Ana Parker and Jordan Schrapel at the NT News second annual Futures Northern Territory. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin.

“Because we need so much power ultimately the renewable network grid facilitated and we hope that in the master planning phase that we can be given priority because it’s very complex.”

CDU deputy vice chancellor Professor Ruben Bolt used the forum to champion the university’s push for its own medical school, saying a local school would deliver direct benefits to the Territory.

“What will happen is 80 per cent of that will need to be based on the science for our university, the other 20 per cent will be tailored around the needs of the Territory,” he said.

“So when we talk about issues around diabetes or dialysis, these are very specialised, so 20 per cent of the curriculum will actually set us apart from the rest of the country.”

Demographer and public speaker Simon Kuestenmacher backed the NT’s resources push, describing it as “the most lucrative industry” in the NT and saying public perceptions around mining will shift as global transport networks decarbonise.