1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:08,200 Speaker 1: Situation with the equatorial Equatorial Launch Australia no longer moving 2 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:10,560 Speaker 1: ahead here in the Northern Territory is a blow, no 3 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:12,719 Speaker 1: matter how you want to look at it. Joining us 4 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: on the line to talk a little bit more about 5 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:18,239 Speaker 1: the situation is Matt Cunningham, Sky News Bureau Chief for 6 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:23,279 Speaker 1: the Northern Territory. Good morning, Matt, Good morning you mate. 7 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: This situation with Equatorial Launch Australia is no matter how 8 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:32,639 Speaker 1: you look at it, it seems like we cannot get 9 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 1: a major project off the ground in the Northern Territory. 10 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 2: Does yes, Oh well, you know maybe because you look 11 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 2: at what are the amphibious airplanes and then you've got 12 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 2: the rockets and the prawn farm and these other things. 13 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 2: We think to pump a lot of time and effort 14 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 2: into these ones, and our politicians do a lot of 15 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 2: talking about it, and then you think about it much. 16 00:00:57,360 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 2: How often did you hear, you know, Michael Dunner or 17 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 2: a Natasha file talk about rockets from artam Land And 18 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 2: I think it was a good thing, and it was 19 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 2: a good thing to try or talk about amphibious airplanes 20 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 2: or talk about some cable things that are either not 21 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 2: happening struggling to happen now I could put or never 22 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 2: going to happen projects maybe well, I mean this space 23 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 2: base was actually built and did fire three rockets back 24 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 2: in twenty twenty two, so you know, to be fair, 25 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 2: something did happen and they're now shifting to Queensland. But 26 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 2: obviously there's been a bit of a dispute between ELA 27 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 2: and the Northern Land Council. Now Equatory will Launch Australia 28 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:45,680 Speaker 2: when it sort of came out and said that it 29 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 2: was packing up, pulling up stumps, basically tried to put 30 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 2: all of the blame onto the Northern Land Council and 31 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 2: so that it had it had delayed in issuing the 32 00:01:56,000 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 2: head lease for the extension of the space base out there. 33 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 2: I've seen some correspondents that were sent over quite a 34 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 2: period of time, and I don't think I don't think 35 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:11,920 Speaker 2: LA is the completely innocent party in all of this, right. 36 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:16,919 Speaker 2: I think that the correspondence I've seen is certainly from 37 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:20,359 Speaker 2: the Northern Land Council saying to LA, how you need 38 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 2: to give us this, you need to show us that 39 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 2: you need to get something of this, and that they 40 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 2: were saying to Equatorial Launch Astralia you know, we can't 41 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 2: give you a leaf until you've ticked off these things, 42 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:34,360 Speaker 2: and it appeared that there was some delay at ELA's 43 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 2: end about picking off some of those things. So yeah, yeah, right, MASTI. 44 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 2: And complicated situation of at all is that the space 45 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 2: space is going to Queensland. 46 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: Well that's exactly right, and going to Weeper, where potentially 47 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: it's going to mean jobs, an opportunity for people in Weeper, 48 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:55,080 Speaker 1: you know, I will, no doubt it will, and a 49 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:58,399 Speaker 1: boost of their economy. And like you say, it's hard 50 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: to know exactly what's going on here, but what we 51 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 1: know is that it's no longer happening in the Northern Territory. 52 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: I mean, I would imagine that it's going to be 53 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 1: quite a blow. I would you would think to that 54 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 1: area of the Northern Territory to arnam Land, Well. 55 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:21,080 Speaker 2: It will be a blow at some level, I think. 56 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 2: I mean I'm going from memory and off the top 57 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 2: of my head here though, but I think the number 58 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 2: of younger people, for instance, employed in the space base 59 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 2: might have been fifteen or twenty, and I think they 60 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 2: employ more than one hundred across their other businesses, including 61 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 2: the mine and you know, in the mill and a 62 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 2: concrete batching plant and all the other things they've got 63 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 2: going out there. So I think it's one small piece 64 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 2: of the puzzle in terms of what the Gormas do 65 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 2: out there. As far as employing local Aboriginal people. There 66 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 2: would have been no doubt an economic benefit when they 67 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 2: had that launch back in twenty twenty two, and if 68 00:03:57,520 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 2: they had been able to have launches on the regular, 69 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 2: but since I think Ela was talking about fifty or 70 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 2: sixty launches a year at one stage, if they expanded, 71 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 2: then yes, there would have been that economic benefit. But clearly, 72 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 2: you know, they weren't able to get done what they 73 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 2: needed to get done to make that happen. 74 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 1: It does sort of make your question as well, though, Matte, 75 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 1: you know what like over the last few years, and 76 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:20,839 Speaker 1: not to sort of you know, kick the boot into 77 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: the former government, but you sort of go, you know, 78 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 1: like there there's been a lot of talk about jobs, jobs, jobs, 79 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:30,240 Speaker 1: and you know, these different projects and we like now 80 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: we're sort of, you know, each project just kind of 81 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:37,719 Speaker 1: seems to be coming up with different issues and not happening. 82 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:41,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, and there are all sorts of hurdles that are 83 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 2: put in place by others as well. I mean, you 84 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 2: look at the Santos Varosa project. Now we should start 85 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 2: to see gas from that next year, Katie. But I mean, 86 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:53,800 Speaker 2: look at the legal challenges that we were placed in 87 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:58,039 Speaker 2: front of that project, and how much it has been 88 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 2: held up as a consequence, humably, the extra cost associated 89 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 2: with it as a consequence, even after the federal court 90 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 2: awarded nine million dollars in costs to Santos, largely because 91 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 2: of the actions of the Environmental Defender's Office. But you know, 92 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:17,840 Speaker 2: you're right. I mean, I don't know. I sort of 93 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:20,279 Speaker 2: feel like, and I said this before there was even 94 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 2: a change of government. I feel like we're on the 95 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 2: precipices of a shift. You and I were both here 96 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 2: during the Impets boom, and I remember that time as 97 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 2: just Darling being the most happening place. Things were being 98 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:36,160 Speaker 2: built everywhere, you know, the city was always pumping. There 99 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:38,360 Speaker 2: were people everywhere. The biggest issue that we had in 100 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:40,479 Speaker 2: dah and you know, if you go back to twenty 101 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:43,919 Speaker 2: ten twenty eleven, was that no one could afford to 102 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:46,479 Speaker 2: buy a house because we had the most expensive house 103 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 2: prices in the country. It's hard to believe now because 104 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:52,280 Speaker 2: now we've got the cheapest houses in the country because 105 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 2: the economy has been in the Dolgens for a decade. 106 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:57,679 Speaker 2: But I think with Barossa coming on board, the potential 107 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 2: that the Beterloo will start producing next year, you know, 108 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 2: the ramping up a defense spending, et cetera, et cetera. 109 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:08,839 Speaker 2: I sort of, you know, this might be a triumph 110 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 2: of hope over reality, but I do feel like there 111 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 2: is an economic corner that we are about to turn, 112 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:18,159 Speaker 2: and hopefully, you know, some of these other projects you 113 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:21,920 Speaker 2: know that are on the cards can get off the ground. 114 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 2: This one, this one, You're right about it being a 115 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 2: blow and economic glow to that region. I think there's 116 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:31,280 Speaker 2: real concerns about what happens in Norman Boy once Rio 117 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:35,799 Speaker 2: packs up on Lee's town. You know, we've seen in Jabaru. 118 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 2: You know, obviously there are teos out there and the 119 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 2: mirror trying very hard to make things happen with tourism 120 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 2: and other things now that the range of mine has 121 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 2: closed down. But there's a challenge because Javaru has essentially 122 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:51,240 Speaker 2: been a mining town, and when there's no mine, it's 123 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 2: hard to have a mining town and all of the 124 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 2: infrastructure and the economic benefits that that brings. And I 125 00:06:56,560 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 2: think Norman Boy is going to face a similar challenge. 126 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 2: You know, however, Commonty is five years or so it 127 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 2: takes to wind up operations there. I think that's going 128 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 2: to be a huge challenge for the Northern Territory government. 129 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 2: What happens to that place because it is such an 130 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:15,160 Speaker 2: important town in that region, and what happens in norman 131 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 2: Boy once the mind closes and having Ela move out, 132 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 2: of course doesn't help. 133 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 1: It's a very very good point. And you know, as 134 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:24,240 Speaker 1: a girl who grew up in mounta Eisa, I've seen 135 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 1: that at different times when the mine there has sort 136 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 1: of ebbed and flowed in different areas have closed down, 137 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 1: and you know, you go from having ten football teams competing, 138 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 1: you know in your A grade men's to having three 139 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 1: things like that. You know, it has a huge impact 140 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: on communities in so many different ways, not just economically 141 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 1: but socially as well. And moving there has to be 142 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 1: other projects getting up and running. And I know some 143 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 1: people don't light the idea of mining in different locations 144 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:53,760 Speaker 1: around the Northern Territory, but the fact is, you know, 145 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 1: you need resources. We all, you know we're going to 146 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 1: need gas. We all want to be renewable as well. 147 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: To go on another tangent. But we but we actually 148 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:07,240 Speaker 1: we're not there yet. So there are different areas that 149 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 1: the Northern Territory could be doing incredibly well when you 150 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 1: talk about our resources, but we just sort of we 151 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:15,440 Speaker 1: haven't been able to get there in recent years. 152 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 2: No, we haven't. And you know, hopefully, as I said, 153 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 2: hopefully that's that's changing. I mean there's a lot of 154 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 2: work going into the Beloo. Of course, there was there 155 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 2: was a two year moratorium that you know a lot 156 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 2: of people have questioned as the weather, you know, that 157 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:33,839 Speaker 2: was necessary, whether it held things up or not. But 158 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:36,840 Speaker 2: I guess that's water under the bridge now and the 159 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 2: Beaterloo does seem to be close to to you know, 160 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:43,600 Speaker 2: seeing something actually happening as far as gas production out there. 161 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 2: Interesting to see in the ant News on Monday, Santos 162 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:50,320 Speaker 2: saying that they're looking at the Bealoo again, which is 163 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:54,920 Speaker 2: which is a huge shift from only six months or 164 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:57,280 Speaker 2: so ago when Kevin Gallagher was speaking at a mining 165 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:00,160 Speaker 2: club lunch and daw and then he basically said that 166 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:02,839 Speaker 2: that Santos was not did not have the Beadloo on 167 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 2: its radar at all at that stage simply because of 168 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 2: the regulations and the hurdles that need to be jumped 169 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:14,240 Speaker 2: over to make a project like that happen. So there 170 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:17,160 Speaker 2: has been obviously a shift in santos Is thinking when 171 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:20,080 Speaker 2: it comes to the Beloo. You know, we saw the 172 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:22,680 Speaker 2: transformation of this city when in Text came along and 173 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:25,880 Speaker 2: Darwin L and G before that, Katie, and it's been 174 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:28,720 Speaker 2: a boom and bust city and unfortunately we've been in 175 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:32,280 Speaker 2: a bus for a long time now, so hopefully there's 176 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:33,559 Speaker 2: a boom just around the corner. 177 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:41,840 Speaker 1: We can only hope. Well, Mat, I hope not. Matt Cunningham. 178 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:43,920 Speaker 1: Always good to catch up mate. We'll talk to you 179 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:44,840 Speaker 1: again very soon. 180 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, thank you.