Natasha Fyles defends Middle Arm after criticism from Warringah MP Zali Steggall

East coast MPs have hit out at the Middle Arm precinct, slamming the project as ‘greenwashing’. Here’s what the Chief Minister had to say in response.

The Chief Minister has hit back at two “east coast hypocrites” after they criticised the Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct.

Independent Warringah MP Zali Steggall said the five-prong project was “greenwashing at its finest” during parliamentary sittings on June 20.

“It’s being sold as providing a pathway to a decarbonised economy by helping emerging clean energy industries, with petrochemicals, blue and green hydrogen and critical minerals added to its purpose,” she said.

“Despite this, the current plan is based on a massive expansion of the gas industry and relies on a yet-to-be-designed carbon capture and storage plant located beyond Australia’s jurisdiction, in Timor-Leste’s water, to control a huge increase in the country’s emissions.”

Ms Steggall called for the federal government to reconsider its planned $1.5bn contribution to the project.

Independent Kooyong MP Monique Ryan has previously taken to Twitter to campaign against the precinct and its proximity to the “suburb of Palmerston”.

Middle Arm is 3km from the suburb of Palmerston.

This means that our Federal Govt is supporting establishment of a large petrochemical facility producing ammonia, methanol, hydrogen and gas liquids 3km from a suburb of 38,000 people.

The health risks are frightening. pic.twitter.com/90tyXnzgTj

— Dr Monique Ryan MP (@Mon4Kooyong) June 9, 2023

Chief and Major Projects Minister Natasha Fyles said the federal nay-sayers could “spout as much nonsense about us as they want” but the Territory was “not for turning”.

“We’ve had enough of people from the richest suburbs on the other side of the country telling Territorians what kind of jobs they are or aren’t allowed to have,” she said.

According to 2020 research from Roy Morgan, the Warringah and Kooyong electorates are the second and 10th richest electorates in the country respectively.

The Territory’s Lingiari and Solomon electorates are the 121st and 136th richest respectively.

“These people spend their days giving us these … lectures to keep their east coast supporters happy, and they do it while powering their homes with coal,” Ms Fyles said.

“I mean, give me a break. The hypocrisy is breathtaking.

“If they want the facts about Middle Arm they can come here and take a look for themselves, we’ll happily serve them a cold drink and a dose of reality when they arrive.”

Ms Fyles said it was “going to take a lot more than a couple of online petitions from east coast hypocrites to stop us”.