1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,680 Speaker 1: What we do know is that it's two point six 2 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:05,680 Speaker 1: billion dollars to be spent on infrastructure, some of those 3 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:08,280 Speaker 1: big ticket items that have been flagged. One point five 4 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 1: billion dollars to upgrade the DAR and Port. Another four 5 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: hundred Actually it's not to upgrade the DAR and Port. 6 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 1: It's on new infrastructure for the port. There's then also 7 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: that four hundred and forty million dollars for logistics facilities 8 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:24,599 Speaker 1: in three other territory centers. Now joining us on the 9 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:28,480 Speaker 1: line right now is Louise McCormack, the Infrastructure Commissioner for 10 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: the Northern Territory. 11 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Louise. 12 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 3: Good morning, how are you. 13 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:34,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, really well, great to have you on the show. 14 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 1: And Louise, two point six billion dollars on infrastructure projects 15 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:43,840 Speaker 1: across the territory. As the infrastructure commissioner, you must well, 16 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:45,840 Speaker 1: you must be thinking, gee, I'm going to be busy. 17 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, definitely. I'm over the moon, to be honest, because 18 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 3: it's a lot of the things that we had asked 19 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 3: for and have been working for for the last few 20 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 3: months and talking with the Austrian government. So very pleasing 21 00:00:58,560 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 3: to see it now announced. 22 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, right, So it is stuff that you've been sort 23 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: of lobbying for behind the scenes to make sure that 24 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: we see this infrastructure for the territory. 25 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 3: Absolutely, So this is some of the economic enabling infrastructure 26 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 3: we need to move to sustainable economy. So the one 27 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 3: point five billion, for example, will do all the common 28 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:25,679 Speaker 3: user infrastructure for the Middle Arm precinct, which will generate 29 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:29,319 Speaker 3: thousands of jobs and not just construction but ongoing as 30 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:30,480 Speaker 3: well through manufacturing. 31 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: Yeah. 32 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 2: Right, So is that the port infrastructure is that separate? 33 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 3: It is definitely port infrastructure, not at East Arm but 34 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 3: at Middle Arm. So it's a new modular offloading facility 35 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 3: as well as product jetties which will sit sort of 36 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 3: alongside where IMPEX currently is. 37 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 2: Right, So it's a whole new sort of facility. 38 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 3: Yes, completely new precinct. And you would have seen some 39 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 3: of the other announcements that went with it are the 40 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 3: Hydrogen Hub. Essentially it will be starting to support the 41 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:04,559 Speaker 3: manufacturing of hydrogen as an energy source. 42 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: And so what will that mean in terms of jobs 43 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:11,640 Speaker 1: and you know, I guess some future and future for 44 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: energy needs for the territory. 45 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 3: So there is potential that our current electrical stations power 46 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 3: stations can use hydrogen. They do need rectification of some 47 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 3: of the works on the infrastructure, but there's potential to 48 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 3: use it locally as well as exporting it as well 49 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:32,920 Speaker 3: for other countries. 50 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 1: Now, what about these hubs, these logistics hubs Louise, what 51 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: are they all about? 52 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, so they're a really key part of activating the 53 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:46,360 Speaker 3: economy territory wide. We have lots and lots of different 54 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 3: businesses across the territory and often the supply chain or 55 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:54,120 Speaker 3: getting to market is a difficulty. So the four hundred 56 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:56,920 Speaker 3: and forty million is really there to look at Alice Springs, 57 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 3: Catherine and Tenant Creek as intermodal hubs, so it will 58 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 3: provide them an opportunity to get their product to market 59 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 3: via the hub and then on the rail out to 60 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 3: port and export or to other markets nationally. 61 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: Okay, so what are the projects? I guess we've all 62 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:15,919 Speaker 1: sort of seen these big ticket items. Some of us 63 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 1: don't know exactly where they're going to be or what 64 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 1: they are. But what else should we be aware of 65 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 1: this morning when you talk about this infrastructure spent. 66 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:28,079 Speaker 3: Yeah, so there's still more significant funding for roads, for example, 67 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 3: So there is in that two point six billion, one 68 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:34,519 Speaker 3: hundred million, one hundred and ten million for the Tanami Road, 69 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 3: which is getting close to ceiling all of the Tannemi 70 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 3: Road with the current work, so that's really pleasing to see. 71 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 3: It will provide us a second sealed connection to the 72 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 3: Western Australia. There's also a two hundred million dollars there 73 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 3: further for middle arm development, which is to do a 74 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 3: rail spur for product corridors and the key roads that 75 00:03:57,040 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 3: go into the wharf and the marine infrastructure. 76 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 1: Now, we did just catch up a short time ago 77 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 1: with Tom Harris from the Civil Contractors Federation of the 78 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 1: Northern Territory and he said, you know that obviously one 79 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 1: of the things that we are going to need to 80 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 1: make sure that there is is that good planning and 81 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: that we've got the workforce. 82 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 2: To you know, to build this infrastructure. 83 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 1: I would imagine that that's some of the work that 84 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:24,239 Speaker 1: you've again got going on behind the scenes. 85 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:28,680 Speaker 3: Absolutely is. So we're currently working on our infrastructure plans. 86 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:31,599 Speaker 3: So some of this work, given the value of it 87 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:34,360 Speaker 3: and the magnitude, will take some time to deliver. So 88 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 3: trying to identify that pipeline of work for industry is 89 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 3: a really key part of what we do, so that 90 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:44,799 Speaker 3: they're able to plan their workforce ahead of time. 91 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:47,480 Speaker 1: So how soon are we expecting some of this work 92 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 1: to get under way? 93 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 3: So there has been already quite a lot of planning 94 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 3: work happen. Middle environmental impact statement went in earlier this year, 95 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:03,599 Speaker 3: so we could see construction hitting the ground in twenty 96 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 3: twenty four, late twenty twenty three, but there is quite 97 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:10,280 Speaker 3: some way for planning and design work to happen yet. 98 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 1: Yeah. Right, So it's the planning and design work getting 99 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: underway pretty quickly, but then the reality of it that 100 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:20,719 Speaker 1: we could really see this construction with well by twenty 101 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 1: twenty four. 102 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 3: Yes, that would be my aim. It doesn't always work 103 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:27,279 Speaker 3: that way, but that would be what I'd be aiming for. 104 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, and Louise, have we got the workforce that we 105 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 1: need or are we going to be needing to build 106 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: upon that workforce? 107 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 3: So that's one of the big challenges I think we 108 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 3: have in front of us, is the workforce that we 109 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 3: need to build this type of infrastructure, and that's where 110 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 3: good planning comes into it, and also myself talking with 111 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 3: people like Tom Master builders and in our construction industry 112 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:56,160 Speaker 3: about how we can work together to roll this out 113 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 3: because that's probably one of our key risks in delivering. 114 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 2: This What about the you know, the tendering process. 115 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 1: I know I caught up with Dave Malone a bit 116 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 1: earlier this morning, also spoke to Tom Harris about the 117 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 1: tendering and trying our best to make sure that local 118 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: contractors are winning this work. 119 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 3: Yes, and obviously that's the Northern Territory government policy that 120 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:23,040 Speaker 3: local first and our bilocal policy. So it's really key 121 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:25,840 Speaker 3: that we do work with local industry to make sure 122 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 3: that the packages that we're putting out that our local 123 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:33,480 Speaker 3: industry are capable of delivering them and getting good work 124 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:35,160 Speaker 3: out of this big announcement. 125 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:38,839 Speaker 1: So, Louise, I know that there will be there'll be 126 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 1: contractors listening this morning. There's going to be tradees listening 127 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:44,159 Speaker 1: this morning. There's going to be all sorts of people 128 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,160 Speaker 1: listening this morning thinking how am I going to make 129 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,159 Speaker 1: sure that I can be part of any of these projects? 130 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: How can they keep an eye on things and you know, 131 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 1: I really make sure that they're hopefully able to get 132 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 1: a slice of that work. Yeah. 133 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:04,719 Speaker 3: So we're looking at in infrastructure anti construction save that 134 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 3: again tongue code sorry construction snapshot which obviously shows what 135 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 3: works out there and what's coming. So if they keep 136 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:16,200 Speaker 3: an eye on things like that, a future tender opportunities 137 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 3: online and there's also the Diple Procurement Plan that goes 138 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 3: online which sort of tries to do a forecast within 139 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 3: six to twelve months if they're wanting to look beyond that. 140 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 3: Our Infrastructure Pipeline Document will come out every year and 141 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 3: try and do a bit further forecasting as well, so 142 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:34,559 Speaker 3: that helps industry plan ahead. 143 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, Louise, I reckon you must say construction about five 144 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:39,200 Speaker 1: thousand times a day. 145 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 2: Do you. 146 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's got a bit. 147 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:43,240 Speaker 2: No, it's all good. 148 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 1: Happens to me as well, and I have to speak 149 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:49,080 Speaker 1: for three hours straight, so so timely worried about that. 150 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 2: Louise McCormack. 151 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 1: Really good to speak to you this morning, and I 152 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: think good for a lot of territories to hear from 153 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 1: you this. You know, some of this planning work is 154 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:00,560 Speaker 1: already underway because I think for a lot of people, 155 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 1: when you hear the budget is handed down, you hear, 156 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: you know, these phenomenal amounts of money, huge amounts like 157 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: two point six million dollars, you start to wonder whether 158 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: it is pie in the sky stuff so to hear 159 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 1: from you this morning that that planning's already underway and 160 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 1: that this is work that had been advocated for, I 161 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 1: think that that will please a lot of people today. 162 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, no, that's great. I'm glad that we can help 163 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 3: in that way. 164 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 2: Oh good stuff. 165 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:29,200 Speaker 1: Louise McCormack, the Infrastructure Commissioner for the Northern Territory. Always 166 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 1: good to catch up with you. Thanks so much for 167 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 1: your time.