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

Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I do appreciate that short recess as I was coming from the other chamber.

It's an absolute privilege to be speaking in the Federation Chamber this afternoon about northern Australia, something very close to my heart, obviously, representing the people of Darwin and Palmerston and Territorians in our federal parliament. I was particularly proud of Territorians over the weekend, when Cyclone Fina came through from the east, moving across the Top End and now down to WA. Monday, when we started the clean-up, was the day when there were statements on northern Australia, and I couldn't be here, and I appreciate the opportunity to make some comments now.

Cyclone Fina and the damage and disruption created is indeed a timely reminder of the extra challenges faced by people and communities right across the north of Australia. It's very heartening to hear about the progress being made through the Northern Australia Action Plan's first annual progress report. To see that progress on the ground is important and is part of my job as the special envoy for northern Australia. The work being done is strengthening an already resilient north; people living in the north of Australia are generally resilient. But it's also providing many further opportunities for the development of industries and infrastructure, and I want to go through those in a bit of detail.

The work addressing critical issues such as housing availability in the north and enabling greater First Nations economic self-determination and progress is only made possible through collaboration. So it was good to hear from the minister, the member for Brand, about the decision to extend the life of the NAIF, the Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund. That 10-year extension of the NAIF will mean that it can continue to invest in projects right across the north, well beyond the current investment deadline of 30 June next year. That will reassure communities and stakeholders in the north, many of whom contributed to the review. The short story is that the NAIF has been topped up and is here to stay, and long may it be topped up and long may it stay.

The Albanese Labor government has worked to ensure that the NAIF is supporting projects that deliver tangible benefits to northern Australian communities. So far, $4.32 billion has gone to finance infrastructure development across the north of Australia, including 14 projects in Queensland, 10 in WA and eight so far in the NT. The NAIF was designed to address a lack of private investment that we sometimes see in the north, although more enabling infrastructure is drawing in more private investment. It is understood by people living in the north that things cost more. There are higher risks associated because of our distance from the main population capitals in the south and the remoteness of many of these areas of the north. They have abundant resources and the climate that we quite love, but the vagaries of tropical weather systems, as we saw on the weekend, also make them interesting and exciting places to live and carry some challenges that the NAIF was set up to help with by growing financial ecosystems throughout the north with responsible investment through the NAIF on those long-term development goals.

The north is absolutely central and essential to our nation's future prosperity and, of course, our security. I want to give a shout-out to the reference group for First Nations people across northern Australia. The IRG, the Northern Australia Indigenous Reference Group, is led by the esteemed chair Professor Martin Nakata. I was also delighted to spend some time with IRG member Alinta McGuire in Darwin recently with my colleague the Assistant Minister for Northern Australia, Senator Nita Green. We had a great conversation. I also want to publicly thank past members of the Indigenous reference group, including Darwin fellow and good bloke Jerome Cubillo, Tara Craigie, Peter Jeffries, Gillian Mailman and the former chair Colin Saltmere, for their contribution to the Northern Australia Indigenous Reference Group and support for northern Australia.

I want to just make a quick comment that the financing that's involved with the NAIF is vital, but it's also vital that we're doing all the things that we're doing to get a workforce and to provide pathways for not just First Nations people but non-Indigenous people as well in the Northern Territory, WA and Queensland who have been underemployed and to build our own. That's what a lot of our policies are about in terms of fee-free TAFE and any work that we can do to have a pipeline of northern Australians to do all the work that we need done in the north. They are the workers and the workforce that we can depend on the most, obviously. So that's also important work.

There is important work also done by the offices. So I want to give a shout-out as well to the NAIF office and the Office of Northern Australia. They're providing great support, and long may it continue. Obviously, with the extension of the NAIF, that's assured, but the Office of Northern Australia does great work to support industry and to support communities, including remote First Nations communities, who have a deep and ancient connection to their country but also want to have a future for their children and want to have their kids on a pathway to a sustainable future and a future of dignity.

If there's one thing about the north that all honourable members should know and would know, it's that it's very rich in resources, whether it be sun, wind, gas, iron ore or those important critical minerals. Those critical minerals are really crucial to our nation's future security and our engagement with our neighbours in the Indo-Pacific and the development of northern Australia is for all those reasons and for the fact that we are a united country that wants the best for every Australian, including people living in the north. That is why the north is such a priority for our Albanese Labor government. We are committed to realising the full potential of the region. The potential was often talked about, but the action to turn that potential into opportunity, into futures, is what's really important, because a strong north means a strong Australia.

The action plan, the 2024-29 annual progress report, shows that we are progressing those priorities and activating the northern economy. Part of the NAIF—$500 million—has been earmarked for projects under the government's Critical Minerals Strategy. We are putting substantial resources into the Arafura Nolans rare earths integrated mining and processing facility near Alice Springs. That's what a future made in Australia is all about—not just digging stuff up but then doing the processing. What that means is great jobs. What that means is logistics hubs up through central Australia that are going to support a whole range of industries into the future, making us more resilient. That is important for our sovereignty. The Australian nation has a bright future in part because of northern Australians and what we can bring to the table, and we thank the federal government for that support.

Debate adjourned.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 17 : 28

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