Latest highlights include APA Group proposing to construct Beetaloo’s Sturt Plateau pipeline, Exact Contracting Pty Ltd being awarded $68 million for Stage 3 upgrades of the Carpentaria Highway, and a record cruise season bringing an economic boost. Also making resource news is Energy Resources Australia withdrawing its court challenge on the Jabiluka Lease.
The Darwin ship lift project has been referred to a government committee to be investigated after years of cost blowouts and delays, with the Finocchiaro CLP Government already flagging the project will still move ahead and anticipated it will now cost “hundreds of millions of dollars” more to build.
EXCLUSIVE: The animal abuse investigation into Territory Coordinator Stuart Knowles was suddenly terminated by current Mining and Energy CEO Alister Trier while he was CEO of Primary Industries, the NT Independent can reveal, raising concerns about the perceived favour and the potential for coercion of the most powerful public servant in the Northern Territory.
Slow population growth and the lack of skilled labor are key factors contributing to toned-down property market growth, despite the Darwin property market posting the strongest performance among all capitals for April, new data shows.
EXCLUSIVE: Animal welfare officers seized four dogs registered to Territory Coordinator Stuart Knowles from his rural Darwin property in late 2015 after they were discovered suffering from severe tick infestations and other health problems, a government animal abuse investigation report obtained by the NT Independent shows.
Aboriginal Investment NT has appointed asset consultancy company JANA to manage its two royalty-fed investment funds worth a combined $655 million, with the organisation having previously announced the majority of the initial $180 million it received was to be rolled into one of those investment funds, rather than distributed to small Indigenous business owners.
Darwin Council will not say if developer DCOH will pay the estimated $2.8 million car parking shortfall levy for its share of car parking at the new 21-storey civic centre-office tower, which the council itself is partly financing with the same car parking shortfall levy that other developers have been required to pay.
Santos is expected to commence production at its Barossa offshore gas field off the NT coast later this year, following final federal approval being granted this week.
The Coalition has pledged to lower airfare prices in the NT by lifting cabotage restrictions that prevent foreign airlines from carrying passengers on domestic flights in Darwin, but has not confirmed any airline willing to do that and may find it difficult to attract any, an aviation expert said.
Long-serving government executive Andrew Kirkman suddenly departed his role in the public service Thursday afternoon after 26 years, amid the growing scandal at the Darwin Waterfront Corporation that has led to calls for an independent public inquiry.
Two parking levies that Darwin Council intends to use to build its new civic centre-private office tower with developer DCOH should be scrapped, the Property Council NT has said, because councils have collected and used them largely at their own discretion without transparent governance controls.
A Federal Court application has been lodged seeking to force Darwin Council to hand over documents relating to the deal it struck with developer DCOH to build the controversial 21-storey civic centre-private office tower, along with details of how it is using ratepayer money on the project.
