Territory Economic Reconstruction Commission recommendations largely echo CLP policy, party says

RECOMMENDATIONS put forward by the eight-member team tasked with plotting the NT’s post-pandemic economic bounce-back have drawn support and ire from the Country Liberal Party, which says many of the ideas are policies it already pitched for the upcoming election.

Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro. Picture: Che Chorley

• NT public service heads given 5 weeks to draft up tape-slashing plan, as recommended by Territory Economic Reconstruction Commission report

RECOMMENDATIONS put forward by the eight-member team tasked with plotting the NT’s post-pandemic economic bounce-back have drawn support and ire from the Country Liberal Party, which says many of the ideas are policies it already pitched for the upcoming election.

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro slammed the Gunner government, which has accepted all 15 of the Territory Economic Reconstruction Commission’s recommendations, as “frantically trying to create some illusion of credibility in managing the economy”.

Among the CLP’s frustrations are the TERC’s recommendations around electricity and how the NT can connect to the national electricity grid, which is similar to the party’s policy of getting the Utilities Commission to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of linking intra-Territory electricity grids.

The CLP said the recommendation to slash red tape and bring approval times down to 30 days was in line with its plan to set up an approvals fast-tracking task force, and to help large-scale projects tick all boxes quicker through a new “Territory co-ordinator”.

Other CLP-esque recommendations included driving development of the Beetaloo Basin, fast-tracking a manufacturing precinct at Middle Arm and refocusing the public service.

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“Largely, what is contained in the (report) is good and parallels many of the CLP’s policies,” Ms Finocchiaro said.

“What it does highlight though, is that the Gunner Labor government had absolutely no idea on how to drive growth in our economy.”

Read the report here.