The Territory Labor Government has failed to effectively implement federal Closing the Gap measures aimed at addressing Aboriginal disadvantage, and cannot explain how decisions are made, what the costs are, if targets are being met, or how many Aboriginal organisations have been awarded taxpayer cash to provide outcomes for Indigenous Territorians, a damning Auditor General’s audit has revealed.
Latest highlights include the NT’s economy continuing to rely on mining revenues, $19.2 million allocated for major upgrades of the Darwin Convention Centre, and Lagoon Café opening business at the Darwin Waterfront. Also making resource news is Core Lithium’s plans to re-start Finniss operation within three years, and Oceana Lithium outlines huge uranium anomaly at its Napperby Project in NT.
The CLP Opposition has outlined its election platform during its Budget reply speech in Parliament Wednesday morning, billing it as a “roadmap to rebuild the Territory”, which will include more cash for first home buyers to get more new homes built.
Territorians will benefit from a cost-of-living relief package announced in the Federal Government’s 2024 Budget that includes tax cuts, energy rebates, and rent assistance.
The Lawler Government has announced a big-spending budget three months out from the general election that puts the Territory on course to achieve a net debt of $11 billion by next year.
The Lawler Labor Government’s 2024 Budget is proof that Labor is bereft of any “new ideas” to address the Territory’s problems, CLP Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro says, while the Chief Minister threw it back at Ms Finocchiaro, demanding to know where she’s been hiding for the last month.
Darwin company Aspire has been awarded the $18.2 million contract to design and build the new ward at Royal Darwin Hospital, which the government expects to be open in the middle of next year, the Health Minister has said.
One of Darwin’s most iconic bars will close its doors permanently next month after more than two decades in its current form.
Latest highlights include movement on the Greater Holtz development to boost the construction sector; a developer unloading a CBD block property claiming stagnant development; and Westcoast Repairs opens at Casuarina Square. Also making resource news, Tamboran is ready for NT LNG by this year, and Avenira Ltd sees underlying cash flow challenges.
The Lawler Government has proposed spending close to $1 billion in today’s dollars on building a new Darwin City football stadium along with upgrades to other regional grounds to support a new Territory AFL team, which a taskforce believes could begin playing in seven to 10 years, while disgraced former AFL boss and casino director Andrew Demetriou has joined the taskforce to help win an AFL licence for the team.
Five remote airfields across the NT have been chosen as recipients of a share of the Federal Government’s $13.4 million program to improve the safety and accessibility of airstrips across remote Australia.
The Territory stands to be key a beneficiary of a pledged Federal Government spend of between $14 billion and $18 billion across Northern Australia over the next decade to upgrade defence bases, with the government pledging that the NT will see “the lion’s share” of that money.
