NT budget estimates reveal police assaults, independent review timeline
In less than a year 184 assaults against Territory police were recorded, leading to just 82 convictions so far. Here’s what else was heard in the estimates grilling.
Northern Territory
Don't miss out on the headlines from Northern Territory. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Fronting up to a full day of questions, Police and Territory Families Minister Kate Worden has shed some light on the dire situations police face day in, day out.
Budget estimates on Thursday revealed there were 376 youth offenders recorded in the last year, 290 of which were repeat offenders.
Ms Worden said 113 police officers had left the force from July to the end of March this year.
From July to April 184 assaults against police were recorded, which led to 298 charges being laid.
Of those only 82 resulted in conviction, however estimates heard some were still pending.
Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro also probed Ms Worden on the damning results of a police union survey which showed almost all police felt under-resourced and had low morale.
“Both the number of assaults and conviction rates are shocking and the government cannot continue to sweep this under the rug,” Ms Finocchiaro said in a statement.
“Cops go to work every day leaving their families, to protect ours, they deserve every support to be safe.”
Ms Worden said she had heard the concerns in the survey, released in February this year, but said they were becoming dated.
“I think that while the survey was obviously revealing and powerful for those frontline officers, what I will say to them is we’ve heard them and we are working as quickly and diligently as we can to make sure that they are supported going forward,” she said.
Ms Worden pointed to several changes the department had been working on, including a new mental health strategy, recruitment for additional psychologists and an electronic rostering system in development.
She also said an independent review into policing, which the government agreed to as part of EBA negotiations earlier this year, would be done well before the next election in August 2024.
Ms Finocchiaro later hit out at the fact the government had not determined who would conduct the review or when exactly it would happen.
“The CLP has tried seven times in parliament to call an inquiry into our police force which is in crisis and that has been shut down time and time again by Labor,” she said.
“A review into our police force is needed immediately and the goalposts keep changing.”
The $250m commonwealth investment in Central Australia, announced following Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s snap visit to Alice Springs in January, was another source of intense questioning from the opposition.
Federal budget details revealed about two-fifths of that money was sitting in a contingency reserve, while a portion of the rest was to be spent over the next five years.
Ms Worden said Territory Families had put in a submission for some of that money, which was due to flow form July, but it was an “ongoing conversation”.
“Traditional owners where they’ve made it very, very clear with those people with cultural authority that they don’t want this as a rushed process that needs to go to the right spaces,” she said.
The opposition’s youth justice spokesman Josh Burgoyne said it was far from the “emergency” response the region was expecting.
”This is not how it was sold to Alice Springs when we had the Prime Minister of Australia fly in,” he said.
“We’re still no closer to fixing all the issues that we face.”
Debt costing Territorians $1.3m every day
More than a million Territory taxpayer dollars are being spent every day on interest attached to the government’s debt, with that figure forecast to rise.
A budget estimates hearing with Treasurer Eva Lawler revealed the Territory’s eye-watering debt is costing about $1.3m each day in interest.
The debt is expected to peak at $9.98bn in the 2025-26 budget, bringing the daily interest bill to about $1.65m.
Independent Araluen MLA Robyn Lambley said the costs were of “huge concern”.
“At the moment, we’re talking around $360m per year in just servicing our debt,” she said.
“That will go up to probably around $400m in forward estimates.
“That’s a huge amount of money for a tiny jurisdiction with a very, very small population.”
Treasurer Eva Lawler said it was necessary to get the economy growing.
“You’ve got to get more money in, more revenue in, more own source revenue in which is the work that we’re doing as the government around diversifying the economy, onshore oil and gas industry, all of those things,” she said.
It comes as the government reaches a $1bn infrastructure spend in the current financial year.
That figure resulted in 337 construction contracts, with all but 1 per cent of those going to Territory businesses.
Some of the largest contracts in the past year include $88m for a new Darwin CBD art gallery, a new $57m mental health unit at Royal Darwin Hospital and $42m spent on Darwin public housing.
Ms Lambley also pointed out that the Territory’s population growth of only 1 per cent was keeping the economic stagnant.
“We’re not really growing at all … we’ve got good employment levels but we don’t have enough people to fill the jobs,” she said.
“We’re almost just treading water. There’s lots of (projects) on the horizon as there always are … (but they) may or may not happen.”
The CLP’s shadow treasury spokesman Bill Yan said growth needed to be 2.2 per cent to hit the government’s population aim of 300,000.
“To reach Labor’s target we would need 20 people to move here every day for seven years,” he said.
“It was also clear from the treasurer that our economic growth hinges on the delivery of the major projects and our mining and gas industry, all of which are on hold as the government drag their feet.”
Ms Lawler said the government was trying to grow the population faster but said 1 per cent was a “solid” increase.
“That’s absolutely the work of government is to grow the population because the impact on growing the population is also the impact on our GST,” she said.
“That’s that multiplier effect – you have more people, more GST for the Territory.”
Beetaloo fracking timeline revealed in budget estimates
Despite claims it has the world’s greatest extraction potential, the Territory’s mining industry appears to be heavy on promise and light on certainty.
Mining and Industry Minister Nicole Manison revealed during Tuesday’s budget estimates only two out of 21 proposed mining projects had reached final investment decision in the past year, while none had reached major project status.
Peppered with questions from Barkly MLA Steve Edgington and Araluen MLA Robyn Lambley, Ms Manison’s department also said the first Beetaloo Basin gas production licence was expected to be granted to Empire Energy late this year or early 2024.
“We have implemented the (Pepper Inquiry’s) full 135 recommendations there and we are working closely with the commonwealth on their areas of responsibility as well,” Ms Manison said.
“Now it’s in the companies’ hands, they have to make sure that they meet the legislative requirements.
“We do have a very strong system in place – it is world class regulation.”
However Ms Lambley pointed out, referring to concerns raised by Labor’s Lingiari MP Marion Scrymgour, two key recommendations had not been met.
Last month Ms Scrymgour called on the NT government to halt Beetaloo development until the commonwealth had amended water trigger legislation.
Ms Lambley also said recommendation 9.8, which aimed to ensure there was no net increase in life cycle greenhouse gas emissions in Australia from Territory fracking projects, had not been met.
“(That recommendation) is contingent upon gas being stored in the Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct in Darwin which we all know doesn’t exist yet,” Ms Lambley said.
“How will you capture and store gas without the facilities in place?”
Ms Manison was adamant her government had met the requirement.
“It is also important to recognise that out there in the Beetaloo (companies) are also going to be subject to the (federal government’s) safeguard mechanism,” she said.
“Those proponents will have to be able to demonstrate that they are meeting those emissions reductions targets.”
Ms Lambley also questioned whether Traditional Owners would be able to veto a project – another Pepper Inquiry promise the government has repeatedly made.
Ms Manison said there were several laws in place, including the Native Title Act of 1993, that allowed TOs to exercise that right.
“We want to see the development of these projects truly benefit Aboriginal people, socially and economically,” she said.
“It is their land and if it’s not development that they want to happen on their land and it should not happen.”
Shortly after the government greenlit the Beetaloo Basin independent Mulka MLA Yingiya (Mark) Guyula raised similar concerns, saying he did not support fracking on his East Arnhem country.
Budget estimates to start amid Chief’s sudden leave
Budget estimate hearings have undergone a last minute shake-up after the Chief Minister took unexpected personal leave.
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles and her family flew interstate on Sunday to seek specialist medical treatment for her son.
Her deputy Nicole Manison will instead be first on the panel with Ms Fyles anticipated to return to work for her hearings scheduled next Monday, June 19.
The two-week period provides an opportunity for the parliamentary estimates committee to grill ministers on their new budget.
However the committee is skewed towards the government with three Labor members, one CLP member and one independent.
The amended budget is then expected to pass parliament on Friday June 23.
Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said the CLP would “get to the truth” on taxpayer costs of “continual stuff-ups”.
“This government despite promising transparency has gone from cover up to cover up, whether it be the damage at Howard Springs or what really happened with Jamie Chalker,” she said.
“We’ll be asking about how much Labor’s inaction on crime is costing our economy, whether it be our struggling tourism industry, small businesses or the damage to our schools, hospitals and buses.”
Ms Manison’s portfolios including mining, tourism, parks, advanced manufacturing and trade will come under the spotlight on Tuesday.
Treasurer and architect of the 2023 budget Eva Lawler will be next to appear for a full day of hearings on Wednesday, with the committee to dig into the fiscal plan’s forecasts and pitfalls.
Ms Lawler, the Minister education and infrastructure, will also front up to questions on a record road spend and the Territory’s ongoing challenges in schools.
Police Minister Kate Worden on Thursday will no doubt face criticisms on policing services’ meagre $2m increase in the new budget, while she will also be asked questions on domestic and sexual violence services as well as sport.
Later that evening Lauren Moss, the Minister environment, mental health, equality, youth and seniors, will face queries on her spend-heavy social portfolios.
Budget spends on health, alcohol policy, Defence and major projects are expected to come under the probe as Ms Fyles returns next Monday, before Justice Minister Chansey Paech and Business Minister Paul Kirby reveal details on their various portfolios next Tuesday.
Selena Uibo, who’s five portfolios include housing, renewable and Aboriginal Affairs will have half a day of hearings while Disabilities and Multicultural Affairs Minister Ngaree Ah Kit will answer questions next Wednesday evening.
Hearings will close on Thursday June 22 with scrutiny of government-owned corporations Power and Water, Jacana and Territory Generation.
More Coverage
Originally published as NT budget estimates reveal police assaults, independent review timeline
‘Support us’: Flood-prone community holds emergency meeting with authorities
A remote Top End community with a long history of being hit by floods has met with authorities, calling for greater emergency support and a long-term solution to house their residents.
Darwin soldier claims boozy brawl was a ‘preemptive strike’
A young Darwin soldier has claimed his defence training spurred him to shatter a man’s jaw in a popular Top End nightclub.
REPLAY: Magpies impress in first outing of new campaign
Is this a changing of the guard moment in the NTFL women’s competition? A young Palmerston side has overcome a rebuilding Waratah to kick off their season in style. Check the REPLAY.
REPLAY: Waratah kick 14 goals in a row on way to massive win
Palmerston actually led this at the end of the first quarter, but Waratah weren’t long in finding form and showed their class with a devastating burst of majors. Watch the REPLAY now.
REPLAY: Electric Bombers setting NTFL alight with cracking pace
Anthony Munkara took a ‘speccy’ and Marlion Pickett was everywhere as Tiwi Bombers dismantled PINT. Friday night’s showdown with the Crocs will be a cracker. Watch the REPLAY.
REPLAY: Tigers grab first win but behinds keeps stacking up
Nightcliff have now kicked 31 behinds in just two games, but they still found enough quality in front of goal to open their win account at the expense of the Buffaloes. Watch the REPLAY here.