NT infrastructure minister to write to deputy PM asking for more money

The Territory’s infrastructure minister is preparing to ask Canberra why the NT only received $4m in infrastructure spending in Tuesday’s budget.

• Road to nowhere? Federal budget’s NT spending trick

EXCLUSIVE: THE Territory’s infrastructure minister Eva Lawler will shirt-front Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack after a nearly non-existent spend on roads in Tuesday’s budget.

Infrastructure in the Northern Territory will receive no money from the Commonwealth for at least three years, despite headline announcements from the federal government claiming $150m would be splashed.

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Budget papers show only $4m of that will be spent in financial year 2024-25, with the $319m to be spent some unspecified time beyond then.

Infrastructure and Planning Minister Eva Lawler. Picture: Che Chorley

Deputy PM Michael McCormack during Question Time in the House of Representatives in Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Ms Lawler on Thursday told the NT News she would confront the Nationals leader over the poor result in coming days.

“I will be writing to the Deputy Prime Minister asking that funding be brought forward, because the Territory is gearing up to deliver more major road projects, such as the Carpentaria Highway, to be the Comeback Capital,” Ms Lawler said.

She defended the NT government’s record on infrastructure.

“Along with the Territory Labor Government’s investment into roads, we are on track to deliver a total of $285 million for roads this year.”

“At this stage, the Territory is set to receive the first $4 million of the $150 million newly announced national network highway funding in 2024-25.”

The push came after opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro claimed the NT government was the bottleneck in rolling out infrastructure projects.

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