Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Minister for Northern Australia Madeline King says leaders from QLD, NT and WA are meeting in Darwin this week to firm up key priorities for Northern Australia

Transcript

Minister for Northern Australia Madeline King says leaders from QLD, NT and WA are meeting in Darwin this week to firm up key priorities for Northern Australia · 360 with Katie Woolf

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  Speaker 1: Now this morning, the first Northern Australia Ministerial Forum is
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  Speaker 1: set to take place in Darwin, and I'm pleased to
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  Speaker 1: say that joining me on the line is the Minister
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  Speaker 1: for Northern Australia, Madeline King. Good morning to you.
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  Speaker 2: Oh hi Katie, it's great to be here.
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  Speaker 3: Congratulations on your wards you got over the weekend.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you very much. News travels fast, Thank you.
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  Speaker 3: I appreciate it.
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  Speaker 1: Now, Minister, what's the aim of this forum.
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  Speaker 3: The aim of the forum is to bring together the
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  Speaker 3: ministers from Queensland with Glenn Butcher, your minister here, and
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  Speaker 3: the NT Nicole Madison and Atlantamic Urnam for Western Australia.
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  Speaker 3: All of these ministers have responsibility for well, you know,
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  Speaker 3: the Northern Territory, but included parts of Northern Australia and
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  Speaker 3: its development. To meet with me as the Federal Minister
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  Speaker 3: for Northern Australia, to set our priorities for the North
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  Speaker 3: so that we can work together in a collaborative and
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  Speaker 3: cooperative way, to make sure that the Federal comment is
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  Speaker 3: working with states and not just imposing ideas and things
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  Speaker 3: upon you. You know, I really want to make sure
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  Speaker 3: that territorians and territory government gets it say and how
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  Speaker 3: it wants to develop the North. So for me, it's
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  Speaker 3: all about listening today, and I.
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  Speaker 1: Reckon that's such a good idea because you know, so
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  Speaker 1: often we hear about developing the North. We talk about,
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  Speaker 1: you know, Northern Australia being such an important part of
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  Speaker 1: you know, of Australia's economy and of our resources and
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  Speaker 1: that kind of thing. But it does feel as though
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  Speaker 1: it's been a lot of talk over recent years and
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  Speaker 1: not a huge amount of action.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, and I can understand how people think that. And
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  Speaker 3: developing the North is challenging, you know. You know, I'm
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  Speaker 3: here at the start of the build up and builds
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  Speaker 3: bloody hot, and I can only imagine what it's like
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  Speaker 3: for workers in that environment to build the infrastructure we need.
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  Speaker 3: So it is challenging. But I really want to make
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  Speaker 3: sure this forum, this first forum for a number of years,
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  Speaker 3: is more than just a talk fest. You know, we
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  Speaker 3: come out of it with a committed action plan, so
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  Speaker 3: each minister can put their team into work, and I
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  Speaker 3: can put my team to work to make sure we
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  Speaker 3: have solid projects and solid ambitions that we can be
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  Speaker 3: held accountable for. To make sure you know, we do
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  Speaker 3: the work for the North.
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  Speaker 1: And minister, is that going to be the aim over
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  Speaker 1: today or throughout today to make sure that there is
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  Speaker 1: that sort of plan and some KPIs I guess that
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  Speaker 1: you guys want to see met.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely, we're all about KPIs. You know. We caught
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  Speaker 3: up the ministers and I for it for a little
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  Speaker 3: dinner last night and that was one of the important
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  Speaker 3: things we talked about, is making sure we've got clear goals,
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  Speaker 3: you know.
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  Speaker 2: And the thing about setting goals is you want to
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  Speaker 2: reach them and sometimes the more you dig into them,
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  Speaker 2: you might not reach them in the timetable you set.
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  Speaker 2: But you know, if you don't have the goal and
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  Speaker 2: the ambition and you're not held accountable, we will never
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  Speaker 2: get anywhere.
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  Speaker 1: Right.
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  Speaker 3: So my thinking is we work together set the priority,
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  Speaker 3: then you know, see what we can achieve and really
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  Speaker 3: try and express track that development here and make sure
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  Speaker 3: we're investing in the things that the North wants to
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  Speaker 3: invest in.
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  Speaker 1: Now, judging by the recent federal budget, the Northern Territory
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  Speaker 1: is a place where the federal government does see some
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  Speaker 1: enormous potential. I mean two point five billion dollars for
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  Speaker 1: infrastructure and then the most significant funding totally one point
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  Speaker 1: five billion in equity over seven years. It's going to
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  Speaker 1: be channeled towards the Darwin Harbor's Middle Arm, where the
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  Speaker 1: Northern Territory government's obviously proposed an industrial precinct featuring petrochemicals,
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  Speaker 1: minerals processing and renewables based hydrogen. How does the federal
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  Speaker 1: government see this rolling out?
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  Speaker 3: Well, importantly we see it rolling out with the Commonwealth
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  Speaker 3: having an equity stake in it, so the co of
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  Speaker 3: WK of skin in the game and we'll be working
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  Speaker 3: with the Antique government. We won't be taking over because
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  Speaker 3: the Anti government has been working on this for a
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  Speaker 3: long time. One of my first or my first visit
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  Speaker 3: to Darwin when I became Minister is to go and
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  Speaker 3: see where the Middle Arm precinct would be. And what
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  Speaker 3: I know from speaking with your various ministers and the
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  Speaker 3: Chief Minister is that the Middle Arm sustainable development precinct.
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  Speaker 3: It's all about making sure the NT's economy has diversification
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  Speaker 3: so that other opportunities, so there are more jobs for
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  Speaker 3: the future across more industries. And that's what an industrial
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  Speaker 3: precinct can bring to the local community. You know, ongoing
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  Speaker 3: well paid, highly skilled jobs for the future.
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  Speaker 1: Now, I know that Labours certainly described this precinct as
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  Speaker 1: a pathway to a decarbonized economy, but you've then got
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  Speaker 1: environmentalists who've been highly critical of its expected use of
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  Speaker 1: fract gas. Now, last week I understand that the Greens
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  Speaker 1: threatened to withhold Senate support if the project was in
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  Speaker 1: the budget, which obviously it was. They were hoping to
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  Speaker 1: use their Senate numbers to pressure the government to drop
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  Speaker 1: its commitment for a petrochemicals and gas carbon capture and
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  Speaker 1: storage hub. Are you concerned that the Greens could scuttle
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  Speaker 1: this project?
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  Speaker 3: Well, if the Greens seek to scuttle this project, then
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  Speaker 3: you can be clear that you know they are not
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  Speaker 3: for northern territories because what they're doing is or in
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  Speaker 3: the opportunity for diversification in Darwin and across the territory.
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  Speaker 3: And if I could talk about the Precink project itself,
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  Speaker 3: as I said before that your local government has done
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  Speaker 3: a lot of work on this over many years. It's
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  Speaker 3: not come out us in there. You know they've got
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  Speaker 3: a good plan. I've seen the plan. We're going to
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  Speaker 3: work together to develop it further. And you know there
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  Speaker 3: may be petrochemicals involved. But I would also point out
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  Speaker 3: that products derived from petrochemicals, you know, in our everyday lives.
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  Speaker 3: The phone I'm talking on, the pen, at your desk,
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  Speaker 3: the face masks that you might use, the sneakers you
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  Speaker 3: might go for a run in. All these things have
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  Speaker 3: petrochemicals in them. They're a part of our advanced manufacturing
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  Speaker 3: story right around the world, but equally in Australia. So
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  Speaker 3: you know, we shouldn't be demonizing the products that we
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  Speaker 3: use every single day and the fact that you know
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  Speaker 3: you might produce some of them here in the NT. Equally,
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  Speaker 3: critical minerals we know are going to be essential to
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  Speaker 3: reach net deer omissions. If we don't have the resources
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  Speaker 3: sector doing what it does best, acting and processing critical minerals,
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  Speaker 3: we won't reach net zero. So I encourage territory and
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  Speaker 3: to have confidence in their government because it's a really
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  Speaker 3: good idea. This middle appropriate and there's.
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  Speaker 1: Got to be a transition period, right. I mean, I
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  Speaker 1: know that there's been a lot of pushback from environmental
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  Speaker 1: groups when it comes to gas, but in turn, there
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  Speaker 1: are obviously serious, you know, projections that the cost of
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  Speaker 1: electricity and gas is on the rise. So it's a
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  Speaker 1: tough juggle, I would think for any government. But the
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  Speaker 1: fact is that we've got a transition.
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  Speaker 3: Well, I mean the hints in the title right, net
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  Speaker 3: genremissions by twenty fifty.
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  Speaker 2: You know, we've set.
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  Speaker 3: A time and you know we're determined. This is a
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  Speaker 3: federal government that's passed legislation committing us to it. But
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  Speaker 3: we can't wreck the economy on the way. We need
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  Speaker 3: to be thoughtful about this and about how the transition happens.
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  Speaker 3: So you're absolutely right, and states like the NT and
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  Speaker 3: WA where I'm from, you know, we have a bit
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  Speaker 3: of a different perspective on gas as a power source.
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  Speaker 3: It is much lower emitting than coal, which you know,
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  Speaker 3: Victoria and you Stuff welles rely on in any given
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  Speaker 3: days for power. It accounts for eighty six percent of
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  Speaker 3: that generation.
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  Speaker 2: So you know, the country.
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  Speaker 3: Has a different mixes right around the place, and that's fine,
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  Speaker 3: but we all need to do it in a planned,
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  Speaker 3: sensible manner. But we all want to get to the
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  Speaker 3: same place, and that's net zero missions and a decarbonized
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  Speaker 3: economy to stop global warming. So that's our plan, that's
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  Speaker 3: what we want to do. You know, not everyone agrees
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  Speaker 3: on the same path, but we will not be wrecking
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  Speaker 3: the economy as well.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, it does sound as though you are certainly
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  Speaker 1: still supportive of the gas industry and the fracking industry,
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  Speaker 1: you know, getting underway here in the Northern Territory. I
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  Speaker 1: know that there is still parts that need to sort
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  Speaker 1: of you know, pathways that they do still need to
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  Speaker 1: get through, but it does sound as though you're still
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  Speaker 1: supportive of that.
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  Speaker 3: Well. Lo, the territory government has done a lot of
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  Speaker 3: work with the community around the be Toloo Basin projects
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  Speaker 3: and you know, I'm not saying one way or the
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  Speaker 3: other on that, and that isn't matter for the territory
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  Speaker 3: to work out. They did the very significant work on
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  Speaker 3: the Pepper Review, which had I think one hundred and
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  Speaker 3: thirty five recommendations. Your government is working through it really sensibly,
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  Speaker 3: and I think they've taken a sensible path. You know,
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  Speaker 3: where it goes from there will be you know, a
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  Speaker 3: matter of commercial interest as well as to what investment
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  Speaker 3: does come to that. So you know, we'll take it
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  Speaker 3: one step at a time. And as we always say
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  Speaker 3: about new projects is that they have to stack up environmentally,
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  Speaker 3: they have to get the proper approvals and those approvals
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  Speaker 3: right around the country. Each state character is committed to
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  Speaker 3: net zero as well, and now you have a federal
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  Speaker 3: government that does so, you know, and the gas companies
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  Speaker 3: themselves are committed to net zero missions and quite frankly
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  Speaker 3: they're the ones who know how to steal gas best,
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  Speaker 3: which is what CO two is. So you know, we
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  Speaker 3: want to work with them to get there because we're
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  Speaker 3: at once going to need gas the power generation, but
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  Speaker 3: also going to need their expertise to be able to
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  Speaker 3: reduce emissions but also store CO two.
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  Speaker 1: Minister, there has been discussed and nationally about whether there
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  Speaker 1: should we should be a gas price cap. What impact
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  Speaker 1: do you think that that would have or do you
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  Speaker 1: think it should happen?
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  Speaker 3: Well, you know it is, you know, very troubling the
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  Speaker 3: gas prices. I'm speaking to a lot of gas producers
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  Speaker 3: and gas users about it. It's a conundrum to say
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  Speaker 3: the least. You know, we're working through all the possibilities,
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  Speaker 3: whether it's greater transparency across the whole market, including you know, pipelines, producers, retailers.
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  Speaker 3: There's been a very high focus on the export industry
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  Speaker 3: of Queensland, but there's a lot more parts to the
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  Speaker 3: gas market on the East Coast. And it's my view
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  Speaker 3: and I'm not the view of the Treasure that we
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  Speaker 3: need to have a look at all of these things
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  Speaker 3: and what we must avoid is knee jerks reactions because
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  Speaker 3: knee jerk reactions have unintended consequences. Having said that, we
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  Speaker 3: will be acting quickly, but we need to make sure
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  Speaker 3: we get all the best advice and do it in
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  Speaker 3: an orderly fashion.
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  Speaker 1: And I think that the government that you're part of
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  Speaker 1: right now is doing enough to lower the cost of
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  Speaker 1: energy and indeed electricity prices for Australians.
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  Speaker 3: Well, we're doing what we can when we can. You know,
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  Speaker 3: some things are out of our control. And in terms
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  Speaker 3: of over the winter, we had issues with coal production
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  Speaker 3: and literally weather it was affecting the coal that powers
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  Speaker 3: the power generators of the East Coast and influxing gas
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  Speaker 3: prices due to problems with some supply, but also the
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  Speaker 3: international supply problems with the war in Ukraine. Were doing
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  Speaker 3: what we can. We've had a EMO put caps on
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  Speaker 3: prices into that retail market when they spiked over the winter,
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  Speaker 3: which helped to a great extent. But you know, I
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  Speaker 3: admit we've got a lot more work to do. We've
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  Speaker 3: got an oversupply of gas for the next year, which
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  Speaker 3: we expect to put downward pressure on prices. And what
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  Speaker 3: we really need is for you know, manufacturers and producers
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  Speaker 3: to be talking to one another. They don't like any consumer.
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  Speaker 3: Can you can change your gas deal and you can
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  Speaker 3: ring around and all manufacturers you're not encouraged to make
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  Speaker 3: sure they explore all their options and not to stick
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  Speaker 3: with the retailers of gas. But go straight to the source.
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  Speaker 1: Now, Minister, before I let you go, just very quickly,
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  Speaker 1: how soon do you think work is going to get
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  Speaker 1: underway or when do you envisage that work's going to
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  Speaker 1: get underway at Middle Arm? Oh?
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  Speaker 3: Look, I couldn't tell you at the moment. I have
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  Speaker 3: been out to see it.
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  Speaker 2: It's a fair way off.
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  Speaker 3: I think we've still got there's a lot of environmental
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  Speaker 3: approvals to happen, a lot more discussion with the community.
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  Speaker 3: I think our commitment and the budget at the one
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  Speaker 3: point five billion dollars shows our commitment to the project.
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  Speaker 3: But you know it's a lot of money and it
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  Speaker 3: has to be well planned out and we'll be with
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  Speaker 3: them with the teritory of government to make sure that happened, and.
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  Speaker 1: Just briefly, what else is on the agenda while you're
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  Speaker 1: in the territory.
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  Speaker 3: Well, I'm not going for another walk.
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  Speaker 1: Nice and warm outside, isn't it beautiful?
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  Speaker 3: You know, I'm going to I'm going to have a
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  Speaker 3: nice dinner down here the waterfront and actually tomorrow I'm
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  Speaker 3: going to visit the rehabilitation of the range of mine
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  Speaker 3: at Jabruys. I'm really excited about that.
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  Speaker 1: Well, it is great to speak to you this morning,
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  Speaker 1: Minister Fort Northern Australia, Madeline King, thanks so much for
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  Speaker 1: your time.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you so much. Caddie, thank you.