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

Northern Australia is different to the rest of the country. The construction of infrastructure is more complex and more costly. But the benefits can be transformational, not only for our national economy and our local economy but also for the wellbeing of our people—the people of northern Australia that inhabit a vast area of land going from north-west Western Australia all the way through to Queensland. Representing a slice of northern Australia in this place means that I am very aware of the need for a greater focus on the challenges and opportunities of delivering infrastructure in the north.

This pre-election budget that was handed down on Tuesday had some funds for infrastructure in the Northern Territory, and that is welcome, but what sort of spending are we talking about? Forget the figures; what is the quality and the impact on the ground? Forget the fact that most of it is out on the never-never. What is real in this infrastructure spend, and what is actually going to help our local economies as well as our national sovereignty? How many of these dollars will end up in the pockets of Northern Territory workers and their families and local businesses?

To answer this question, let's have a quick look at what some stakeholders in the Territory had to say. Dave Malone, the CEO of Master Builders NT, was sceptical about how the money will be spent and believes the tendering process will be geared towards large interstate firms rather than local businesses. Tom Harris, the CEO of the Civil Contractors Federation of the NT, like all of us, welcomed the infrastructure spend in the budget but was also concerned about the use of local labour and employment opportunities for locals and local small firms. Tom wants to see more planning associated with the tendering process, and I couldn't agree more.

I am deputy chair of the Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities, and we are tabling a report this morning on government procurement. A key recommendation of this report calls on the government to examine ways to provide opportunities in infrastructure contracting for local industry and the utilisation of local content, creating space for small and medium-sized enterprises to participate. That's because they overwhelmingly employ locals. Creating opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises on infrastructure projects is absolutely vital. It's a key way to make sure that the national spend that has been committed will flow through to not only Territorians but those living throughout northern Australia, and Labor will make sure that that occurs.