Estimates Week 1: Manison says ‘misinformation’ biggest threat to fracking
‘Misinformation’ is the biggest threat to the Territory’s onshore gas and the development of the industry in the Beetaloo Basin, Mining Minister Nicole Manison has told Estimates.
Northern Territory
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‘MISINFORMATION’ is the biggest threat to the Territory’s onshore gas and the development of the industry in the Beetaloo Basin, Mining Minister Nicole Manison has told Estimates.
The surprising response was to a question posed by the CLP’s Steve Edgington and is likely to prompt a backlash from various green groups in the Territory.
“I think people that don’t like to believe the scientific evidence that the inquiry went through and that actively, constantly trying to protest against the development of on-shore resources,” Ms Manison said on Thursday.
“There was rigerous scientific evidence work put into (the Pepper Inquiry).”
Ms Manison also said there was “a lot to be excited about” when it came to future progress of hydraulic fracking.
“We went through the hydraulic fracturing inquiry that Justice Pepper chaired and of course we had that body of work come through with 138 recommendations,” she said.
Of those recommendations, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade was responsible for implementing 64. It was revealed on Thursday it had fully implemented 42 of them with 22 yet to be adopted.
Ms Manison also pointed to the east coast’s energy crisis, where some states were facing the prospect of blackouts, to argue gas’ future role in electricity generation.
“One thing I think people need to appreciate is that the gas industry ... absolutely understand their obligation when it comes to reducing emissions,” she said.
“Gas is the fuel of transition to the renewable energy future.”
The CLP’s Katherine MLA Jo Hersey said she agreed with Ms Manison’s assessment of the ‘threat’ but argued Labor needed to do a better job explaining the Pepper Inquiry and the environmental cost-benefits of fracking to the public.
Earlier, Estimates heard that only one mine project had been commenced since Labor came to power six years ago, with 21 projects still yet to be delivered. There were only six mines active in the Territory overall.
The Environment Centre NT’s co-director Kirsty Howey hit back at the comments, saying the they didn’t reflect the reality of how the Pepper Inquiry was being implemented.
“The Northern Territory government has got misinformation in relation to the Beetaloo Basin down to a fine art,” Ms Howey said.
“The fracking inquiry didn’t say that fracking was safe. It said the risks could be reduced to an acceptable level if all the recommendations ... were accepted. That hasn’t happened.”
Ms Howey said some of the recommendations of the Pepper Inquiry, including water allocation plans and carbon offsets, were not yet in place.
“Fracking can’t proceed safely,” she said.
School attendance concern
THE CLP has expressed alarm after 26 Territory schools were revealed to attendence levels below 40 per cent.
The figures were revealed in Estimates on Tuesday afternoon, with Education Minister Eva Lawler grilled on the subject.
It also emerged that no families were penalised in recent months for failing to ensure their children attend school.
The CLP’s Jo Hersey said she wanted to see “community-led solutions” to try to address low attendance
TIO Stadium investigation in Esimates spotlight
INFRASTRUCTURE Minister Eva Lawler has declared she is “doing the right thing” by trying to get TIO Stadium its occupancy certificate, but refused to answer any questions over an ICAC investigation into the issue.
The stadium in Marrara is yet to be certified, with the ICAC launching an investigation into the matter in March
The probe began just hours after Ms Lawler declared the stadium exempt from that requirement in a government gazette.
In Estimates on Wednesday, the CLP’s infrastructure, planning and logistics spokesman Gerard Maley tried to get further information about whether the minister had been questioned by ICAC.
Ms Lawler responded by saying she was going “to do the work that is necessary” to get TIO Stadium up to scratch, noting there had been 15 infrastructure ministers prior that had failed to get it accredited.
On the investigation, Ms Lawler refused to comment, saying she did not see “any need to comment on that stuff”.
There is no suggestion Ms Lawler is under investigation.
The ICAC is also reviewing the procurement processes in the Department of Infrastructure Planning and Logistics, with focus on its Katherine Office.
The department’s chief executive Andrew Kirkman was unable to say how many investigations had been undertaken by DIPL into the Katherine office.
Mr Kirkman said he was aware of a review of “procurement practices” in the DIPL Katherine office by ICAC.
Minister’s extraordinary salvo over Turf Club saga
TREASURER Eva Lawler has hit back at continued questions over the Darwin Turf Club grandstand grant during a heated exchange in NT Estimates.
The committee also heard that 1400 workers had left NT Health in the nine months to March 31 this year. SCROLL DOWN TO READ MORE.
Appearing before the committee on Wednesday, Ms Lawler became incensed by a battering of questions about whether the decision to recoup $12m in funding from the DTC would hurt confidence in the NT government from other organisations.
Araluen MLA Robyn Lambley argued it was not fair the Turf Club be threatened with funding cuts to recoup the money, first announced by previous chief minister Michael Gunner, while $6.7m of quarantine bills remained unpaid.
Opposition leader Finocchiaro warned the decision to recoup the funds could “set this precedent that every single organisation that ever receives money from government has the threat hanging over their head, that if something goes pear shaped or politically not quite right … then they will be paying for it at the other end”.
“How on earth are NGOs and sporting organisations meant to insure themselves for that kind of liability?” she asked.
Ms Lawler hit back – voice raised – by blasting the line of questioning.
“Let’s just be clear: if you do the right thing and you are a sporting group or any group and you do the right thing, you have the right probity in place, the right procurement, of course the Northern Territory government is not going to seek your grant to be returned,” she said.
“This was an exception because there was an ICAC investigation into (the Turf Club).
“This is why the previous chief minister has been pursuing this matter. I think we need to move on.
“I’d like at some stage to talk about education. I’d also like to talk about infrastructure.
“You’re looking back – look forward and have a look at this budget. Pardon the pun, stop grandstanding, Lia Finocchiaro.”
An unapologetic Ms Finocchiaro pushed on, asking whether Ms Lawler believed the DTC had not properly acquitted the grant.
“I didn’t say they didn’t properly acquit it, I said there were probity issues around the procurement,” Ms Lawler shot back.
“There were issues around procurement,” she said, before acknowledging the DTC had delivered a “great facility”.
Mr Gunner announced his government would attempt to recoup the $12m grant to the DTC last year after an ICAC report was released finding alleged misconduct around its procurement.
There have been numerous appeals against the findings of the report, including several matters that are now in the Supreme Court.
The ICAC acknowledged inaccuracies around its findings related to this newspaper.
Alarm as NT Health hit by 1400 resignations
THE CLP’s shadow health spokesman Bill Yan has expressed alarm after a wave of resignations within NT Health in the space of just nine months.
It emerged on Tuesday that there had been around 1400 resignations from the Health Department so far in the 2021-22 financial year.
Health Minister Natasha Fyles also outlined that NT Health paid workers $20m in overtime, including $12m for staff at the Royal Darwin Hospital.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Mr Yan said the situation required an urgent intervention from the government.
“This will end up being over $26m by the end of the financial year,” he said.
“The first thing that the Health Minister needs to do is go to the sector and find out why the people are leaving – there has to be a reason.”
Mr Yan said there were “a number of factors driving overtime” in hospitals, including Covid-19 outbreaks and the high number of resignations.
He said Territory health workers could be some of the lowest paid in the nation, if a proposed pay freeze for the sector is accepted by unions.
Home Improvement Scheme referred to ICAC; GST debated in Estimates
A SIGNATURE Covid-19 stimulus measure has been referred to the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption.
It comes as Treasurer Eva Lawler defends the government’s predictions of a surplus in coming years, despite criticism it is reliant on a GST windfall.
Auditor-General Julie Crisp on Tuesday revealed the Home Improvement Scheme was referred to ICAC over fraud concerns.
Ms Crisp said three referrals to the corruption watchdog had been made from her office over the past year.
She appeared before the ICAC Commissioner Michael Riches, who then signalled a 20 per cent cut to his budget was disappointing.
Wednesday’s Estimates sittings began with Treasurer Eva Lawler trading barbs with Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro over the state of the Territory’s budget.
The government’s most recent budget predicted a path to surpluses over the next four years, but Ms Finocchiaro said the forecasts were reliant on GST revenue from Canberra that was far from assured.
The Opposition leader also speculated the predictions would need to see big revenue increases to ensure no cuts to the public service, noting increases to car rego.
Describing the budget as a “wing and a prayer”, Ms Finocchiaro asked: “Other than higher taxes, how are you going to be achieving this position?”
Ms Lawler said the government would work with Canberra to ensure the Territory’s fair share of GST.
“We will continue to see improvement in our budget position, our debt, then we’ll get to the stage where we can pay down the debt and we will see that debt increase,” she said.
She further accused Ms Finocchiaro of living in “another universe”.
ICAC funding cut
INDEPENDENT Commissioner Against Corruption Michael Riches has said he is “disappointed” at the government cutting his funding by a fifth.
It comes as quarantine bill dodgers were put on notice to either pay their outstanding charges or risk legal action, as the NT government tries to recoup $6.7m in unpaid fees.
Mr Riches has appeared in front of parliamentarians via videolink on day one of NT Estimates after catching Covid-19.
He began his statement by expressing his dissatisfaction with a 20 per cent cut to the ICAC’s funding.
“This significant reduction from this year’s budget will of course impact the discharge of my statutory functions,” he said.
“I understand that those allocations were determined in 2020.
“While I did make a recent submission in respect of my budget allocation, that submission was not accepted.
“I am of course disappointed that this is the case.”
Mr Riches said it was a common problem among anti-corruption bodies across the country in finding and retaining talented investigators.
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles defended the $1.7m cut to the ICAC, saying funding was falling following its establishment and arguing further money could be provided on a case-by-case basis through Treasury.
Upon further questioning, Ms Fyles repeatedly said she had answered the question.
Mr Riches said he was currently overseeing 14 investigations.
Reacting to the hearings, Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro said the cuts to ICAC were “hugely concerning”.
“This is the investigative body that is there to bust corruption across the Northern Territory,” Ms Finocchiaro said. “It’s ridiculous that the Fyles government can stand there and limit the operations of the ICAC by limiting their budget.
“When you couple 20 per cent cuts with the fact they are spending money out the door battling legal issues, just shows that less money is going to be able to be spent and less attention on that important corruption-busting activity.”
Mr Riches has been in the role since his predecessor Ken Fleming stepped down in July last year.
Howard Springs bill dodgers face legal action: Fyles
HEALTH Minister Natasha Fyles has raised the prospect of legal action against quarantine fee dodgers, saying it is “frustrating” that $6.7m still hasn’t been paid.
Facing NT Estimates on Tuesday, Ms Fyles said there were still debts owed by people who had not yet paid for their quarantine at either Howard Springs or the Alice Springs facility.
“So as much as it is frustrating to have $6.7m owed to the Territory, the resources we had and the way we implemented it certainly saved us,” she said.
Ms Fyles said debt collectors would use “normal channels” to get the money back, including “legal action”.
Meanwhile, acting chief health officer Dr Charles Pain shed greater light on the decision to drop the Territory’s vaccine mandate last week.
Dr Pain said the decision was taken because newer variants were not deadlier than the Omicron wave in December.
“We’ve been watching closely those trends over the last few weeks and there is no evidence that BA. 4 and BA. 5 becoming a problem, so I was comfortable,” he said.
Opposition slam government over transparency; Fyles pays tribute to Ryan
OPPOSITION leader Lia Finocchiaro has probed why questions to the government from the CLP went unanswered for months and sought a reason why the Chief Minister Natasha Fyles didn’t take up the police portfolio.
The Opposition frequently use ‘Questions on Notice’ to get information about the performance of government.
On Tuesday, the CLP received answers for questions lodged on March 29.
But Ms Finocchiaro questioned when the government had received the responses, and how long the government refused to release them.
Ms Fyles said they were released in a “timely manner”.
She deflected a question over why she did not choose to take upon the Police portfolio, saying the question from Ms Finocchiaro was not related to the budget.
The Chief Minister further said statements from the CLP leader, that she would take up police if elected, showed “arrogance” and a willingness to treat the leadership as a “plaything”.
Appearing during hearings for the Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet, Ms Fyles also paid tribute to the hard work of former Chief Minister and Cabinet Department chief executive Jodie Ryan.
Ms Ryan left the position shortly after Ms Fyles became Chief Minister.
Commissioners appear before Estimates
NT ELECTORAL Commissioner Iain Loganathan has defended a decision to close his commission’s office in Alice Springs, while the Auditor-General has revealed three referrals to the ICAC in just the first hour of NT Estimates.
The Independent Commissioner Against Corruption is set to appear before the committee on Tuesday morning alongside Chief Minister Natasha Fyles.
Mr Loganathan, who heads up the NTEC, was grilled by parliamentarians as to what was causing declining voting rates of Indigenous Australians across the Territory.
He said both the NTEC and the Australian Electoral Commission had observed falling enrolment rates among people born 2000 but that his organisation was not tasked with identifying ways to reverse this.
Araluen MLA Robyn Lambley then asked whether the decision to close the NTEC’s office in Alice Springs had hurt enrolment rates in remote communities.
Mr Loganathan said the NTEC still established temporary offices “three or four months before major elections”, including in Alice Springs.
Meanwhile, the NT government’s Auditor-General Julie Crisp said her organisation had made three referrals to the ICAC in the past year.
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