NTBudget: Gunner Govt spent over $600k setting up COVID operations centre at the Peter McAulay Centre

THE government spent $650,000 to establish an emergency operations centre at the Peter McAulay Centre to respond to COVID, new budget figures have revealed

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THE government spent $650,000 to establish an emergency operations centre at the Peter McAulay Centre to respond to COVID, new budget figures have revealed.

The 2020-21 Budget shows the NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services’ has $487 million in planned expenditure for the financial year — about $38 million more than last budget.

It outlined $2 million had been allocated for new works at Peter McAulay Centre and at border checkpoints, as part of the COVID‑19 response.

During his budget speech yesterday, the Chief Minister said the budget included $10.5 million for police to maintain their presence on the NT borders and in our communities.

NT Police Association president Paul McCue said he was disappointed to see little in the budget for remote policy.

“The only infrastructure spend outside of Darwin is additions to the Tennant Creek Watch House,” he said.

“The other projects contained in the budget papers, relating to construction at Ngukurr, Angurugu and Maningrida are Federally funded projects.”

The Tennant Creek watch house will also get a $3.4 million upgrade but that funding was also mentioned last year.

Funding was also outlined for the construction of police stations in Maningrida ($15.7m) and Ngukurr ($13.8m) but both of these projects are not new and were mentioned in the last budget.

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The budget also outlined $30.5 million for 131 additional emergency staff, including 66 frontline Constables, which was announced last month.