Federal Budget to include massive investment in northern ‘growth corridors’ including Beetaloo Basin to Port of Darwin

The federal government’s major ‘refresh’ of its Northern Australia development blueprint will include a new multimillion-dollar investment package focusing on ‘corridors of growth’ – like the Beetaloo Basin to the Port of Darwin.

THE federal government’s major “refresh” of its Northern Australia development blueprint will include a new multimillion-dollar investment package focusing on “corridors of growth”– like the Beetaloo Basin to the Port of Darwin.

The $190m funding pack, to be included in next week’s federal budget, will be designed to “develop the North” by helping businesses diversify and expand through co-investment grants.

The investment will also target digital connectivity and mobile black spot improvements, including in remote Indigenous communities.

It is the first measure announced under the soon-to-be released refresh of the federal government’s Northern Australia White Paper – the 20-year blueprint for growing the North first released in 2015.

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Northern Australia Minister Keith Pitt said over the next five years the government’s plan was to be “more targeted” when it came to growing the North, with funding to be focused on capitalising on the strength of regional areas.

Of the $190m, $111m will be directed to co-investment grants and $68.5m to improving digital connectivity.

A total of $9.3m will also be funnelled into a “corridors of growth” pilot program, with Mt Isa to Townsville, Cairns to Gladstone, the Beetaloo Basin to Darwin Port and Broome to Kununurra to Darwin to be included in stage 1.

Mr Pitt said the program would provide locally-based support for business development, across sectors including road, rail and energy.

Northern Australia Minister Keith Pitt.

“Our plan will stimulate growth, private sector participation and business opportunities right across the north as the nation moves beyond economic recovery toward a secure and sustained economy,” he said.

“These investments will be made over the next five years to support the implementation of the 20 year White Paper on Developing Northern Australia that will see growth in jobs and the economies of the North.

The announcement comes as part of an apparent war chest of cash and disaster funding aimed at Northern Australia — like the $10bn reinsurance pool and creation of the $600m National Recovery and Resilience Agency, as the Morrison government seeks to shore up its vote in the country.

Originally published as Federal Budget to include massive investment in northern ‘growth corridors’ including Beetaloo Basin to Port of Darwin