Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

Wednesday night will be a very special night for the Northern Territory, particularly for Territorians descending on Canberra. In the Great Hall, the fourth Facing North showcase will demonstrate best of Territory food, business know-how, culture and creativity. On Wednesday, from 6 pm, if members and senators have the chance, I strongly you drop in. This is the event that is often referred to as the premier event in the parliamentary calendar. Facing North is a reminder of the social, economic and strategic opportunities that are bound for our nation in the Northern Territory.

To name just one opportunity, I recently visited HMAS Cairns and witnessed the $240 million upgrades underway to allow the home porting of Arafura class patrol boats by 2030. At the same time, in Darwin, the impressive $515 million ship lift project is moving ahead at a rate of knots. It will be capable of lifting vessels up to 5,500 tonnes and will enable larger vessels in the defence, energy, pearling, fishing and coastal cruising industries to be serviced in Darwin. The project has now completed site investigations, unexploded ordnance clearances, navigation simulations, hydraulic marketing, market testing and is almost done with NT and federal environmental approvals. The facility is due to be completed in 2025.

The federal government is also investing $1.5 billion in planned equity to build common user marine infrastructure at the Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct. This project provides a pathway to a decarbonised economy by helping clean energy industries like blue and green hydrogen and also the facilitation of the massive Sun Cable solar project.

I'm also looking forward to the outcome of the regional maintenance provider north tender process for Darwin. The regional maintenance centres are a key element of the government's continuous naval shipbuilding and sustainment program. These Commonwealth led sustainment centres will plan and deliver maintenance on Navy surface fleet capabilities. The contract will be awarded next month.

As I will say in my remarks at Facing North on Wednesday evening, the NT is defined by the vibrant cultural riches of its human mosaic. One small but important example of this is the brilliant Tiwi Island art on the tie that I am wearing now. Having the highest proportion of First Nations people in any state or territory is just one reason the Voice is so crucial to the Northern Territory.

I am reminded of a time when I learned once more the importance of listening to First Nations people regarding policies that affect them. When I was serving in Arnhem Land with the Australian Army's NORFORCE in 2007, we were escorting the intervention's child health check teams around to the communities of the north. We were mainly doing logistics, but, in effect, due to the lack of any meaningful consultation by the Howard government, we were acting as cultural brokers as well.

The divisive intervention narrative meant that people were hiding their children for fear that they would be taken away—taken away again. Yolngu soldiers explained this fear to me as their patrol commander. I listened and asked them: what should we do? They said, 'We should write a big sign in the Yolngu Matha language.' And we did that. Do you know what happened? It immediately put that community at ease. Mums started bringing their children into the health centre for health checks. I'll never forget that important lesson—the lesson that answers came from listening to, not talking at, First Nations people. That is the point of the Voice.

My introduction to the Garma festival was also in 2007. It was at Gulkula, outside of Nhulunbuy, on the escarpment overlooking the Arafura Sea. I learned a lot working in Arnhem Land, and I've kept attending Garma, as I will at the end of this week with the Prime Minister. The referendum responds to the generous invitation by First Nations elders from right around our nation who came together in the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart. Voting yes is a vote for national unity, reconciliation and better outcomes.

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