Eva Lawler to dismiss findings in a Middle Arm senate inquiry

Chief Minister Eva Lawlers said she would take recommendations from a senate inquiry condemning the Middle Arm Industrial Precinct with “an absolute grain of salt”.

Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct

Chief Minister Eva Lawler said she would not take on board a senate inquiry’s recommendations for the Middle Arm Industrial Precinct, while Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro says the CLP will back a well-regulated gas industry.

The proposed manufacturing precinct is the Northern Territory Government’s biggest major project, promising to deliver 20,000 jobs and millions in revenue.

However, the gas hub has been shrouded in controversy since the announcement of $1.5bn in Commonwealth Government equity support for the project.

A senate inquiry into the project handed down its final report on Wednesday, damning the project, however, in an unusual twist neither Labor nor the Coalition made any recommendations.

Senator David Pocock questioned the integrity and transparency of the federal funding commitment and called for an investigation into how it was obtained.

The Greens expressed concerns about the health impacts of the proposed project with fears the NT health system would be unable to cope with added stress caused by the project.

While Senator Lidia Thorpe found there had been “a lack of genuine consultation” with a disregard to gain “free, prior and informed consent”.

Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct

In a bizarre addition to the report, Ms Thorpe also recommended Defence Housing Australia immediately stop the Lee Point development and return control of the land to the Larrakia people, despite the project having no ties to Middle Arm.

However, Territory Labor leader Ms Lawler said the inquiry “was probably the worst couple of hours of (her) political life and a real farce”.

She confirmed she wouldn’t be taking the report’s recommendations on board after a debate she felt was “weighted towards the Greens”.

“I’ll take that senate inquiry report with an absolute grain of salt,” she said.

“I thought a senate inquiry was one step down from a Royal Commission. I walked in and Lidia Thorpe had a t-shirt on that said ‘Stop Middle Arm’.

“I thought I was appearing before a panel that would listen, listen to me, listen to the department heads, listen to the proponents, but also listen to the environmentalists and listen to the people’s concerns.

Chief Minister Eva Lawler has panned the senate inquiry into Middle Arm. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin.

“But when you have a panel member then that comes in with a shirt that tells me that she’s already made up her mind, let alone the questioning which was really aggressive, (they) didn’t even listen.

I thought it would be a chance for Territorians to be able to make up their mind and get the full information, but it was not.”

Ms Thorpe responded stating the chief minister had treated the inquiry with “total contempt” and disregarded concerns from Territorians regarding pollution.

The senator raised her disapproval at the Labor government’s apparent lack of approval for the project from the Larrakia people.

“She told the inquiry that Territorians can’t complain about a wait time at a hospital or a lack of funding for education if they don’t support Middle Arm,” Ms Thorpe said.

“Many Territorians who have real concerns about the pollution this project will create took that as a type of blackmail, and an excuse for Labor’s own failures.”

Senator Lidia Thorpe in the Senate at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Oldman

Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro said the CLP had always been supportive of a well-regulated gas industry, while Labor was split.

“Labor is divided on gas, Eva Lawler’s deputy doesn’t support it,” she said.

“Eva Lawler can try and fool Territorians all she likes but the fact is her Labor members are divided and she cannot control them.

“We will unashamedly pursue mining, a well-regulated gas industry, defence, tourism and agriculture.

“It is in these industries that our inherent wealth sits and our future depends.

“We’re the only party that has always been supportive of a well-regulated gas industry, and understands that the gas industry keeps the lights on, secures long term jobs for Territorians, means less people will leave, and our population will grow.”