Cash splash aims at ‘stimulating, developing and diversifying the Territory’s economy’
The Northern Territory Budget’s freight transport and road-related spending is being driven by the Port of Brisbane lease.
Treasurer David Tollner promises his $1.7 billion infrastructure spend will see $554 million being invested in road projects.
“The program incorporates major and minor capital works, capital grants, repairs and maintenance and infrastructure‑related expenses for all Territory budget sector agencies,” the NT government says in its Budget papers.
“For 2016‑17, infrastructure payments have increased by $198 million, from $1.482 billion in 2015‑16, to $1.68 billion.
“The substantial increase is partially influenced by Government’s reinvestment of the proceeds from the long‑term lease of the Port of Darwin into strategic priorities aimed at stimulating, developing and diversifying the Territory’s economy.”
Roads and transport investment remains at $495.9 million, or 36.6 per cent of the infrastructure program.
The 2016‑17 Capital Works Program continues the significant investment in road and transport infrastructure, with $495.9 million for roads, airstrips, barge landings and transport access upgrades, including $167.5 million for new projects and $328.4 million for revoted works.
There has also been an increase in cash allocated to roads, from $21 million in 2015‑16 to $266 million in 2016‑17, the government says.
The increased cash will enable projects to be substantially progressed or completed in 2016‑17.
Road projects continuing from 2015‑16 into 2016‑17 include $8.5 million for six regional road projects with a $15.3 million contribution from the Commonwealth as part of the Asset Recycling Initiative; $61.9 million for six priority projects on the regional road network as part of the Regional Roads Productivity Package, to be delivered in partnership with the Commonwealth; and $28.8 million for improving Outback Way roads.
Major new projects in 2016‑17 include:
- high-level bridges over Little Horse Creek and Big Horse Creek, $34.5 million
- sealing the road to Port Melville, $27 million
- stage one of the new Barneson Boulevard, the third major arterial link from the Tiger Brennan Drive/Dinah Beach Road intersection into the Darwin central business district, $1 million
- dredging Cullen Bay navigational channel and around the pontoon, $8 million
- upgrading Maryvale Road, $5 million
- sealing selected sections of the Lajamanu access road between Kalkarindji and Lajamanu, $5 million
- upgrading and sealing selected sections of Gunn Point Road, $5 million
- lifting and sealing a section of road between Ramingining and Central Arnhem Road, $5 million
- upgrading aerodromes as part of the Regional Aviation Access Program, $4.25 million
- upgrading and sealing selected sections of the Roper Highway between Fizzer Creek and Ngukurr, $4 million
- constructing the Rocky Creek Bridge and completing the Fog Bay Road upgrade, $4 million.
Meanwhile, the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program’s Carpentaria Highway and Roper Highway works gets nearly $6 million and the Roads to Recovery Program sees $15 million for targeted local roads.
Meanwhile, $76 million is to be spent on road network repair and maintenance.
The spending love even extends to the government’s fleet arm, NT Fleet, which manages departmental light and heavy vehicles and gets more than double the capital works cash, from $14 million to $30 million.