Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, I table the 2025 Annual Statement on Developing Northern Australia, and I move:

That the Senate take note of the statement.

A strong north means a strong Australia. Together with the Minister for Northern Australia, Madeleine King; and one of the territory's strongest advocates, special envoy and member for Solomon, Luke Gosling, we are working to secure the prosperity and security across this great region. It is a privilege to represent such a dynamic and diverse part of our country, and it's a privilege to be part of this northern Australia team in a government that is continuing to unlock some ambitious and promising opportunities for the north.

From our Future Made in Australia agenda, our investments in green energy to deliver important water infrastructure and the recent landmark critical minerals deals with the US, we are doing the heavy lifting in a range of key areas to ensure that our country continues to grow, we create jobs and prosperity in the north, and we protect our natural environment. But with this is an acknowledgement that there is still more work to do to ensure that we truly grasp these opportunities and deliver lasting, meaningful impacts on our communities. Last year, Minister King launched our government's Northern Australia Action Plan. Today, Minister King delivered the Annual statement on developing northern Australia and also released the annual progress report on the action plan, outlining our government's achievements across six policy priority areas.

This report shows that we are activating the northern economy, driving growth across agriculture, tourism, critical minerals and renewable energy. We are investing in infrastructure to unlock growth, including road, rail, port and digital connectivity projects. Here are just a few of those important projects. We're delivering $7.2 billion to improve safety on the Bruce Highway. Work has officially started on Queensland's beef roads through Central Queensland with $400 million from our government and another $100 million from the state government. There is $1.1 billion going to the Tanami Road Upgrade across WA and the NT. And, of course, work continues on the Outback Way across all three of the northern jurisdictions. This is on top of investment into a number of regional airports in the north, which are such critical lifelines for communities.

Our government has always valued and understood the NBN and the community's expectations for decent, reliable digital connectivity, which is why we've invested in programs like our Regional Connectivity Program and the Regional Roads Australia Mobile Program. We are also boosting safety and building national security through upgrades to defence bases in the north. Across five key defence projects, $1.77 billion is estimated to have been delivered to date—with a further $749 million in the next financial year. We are protecting the north's unique environment and cultural heritage, with First Nations aspirations at the heart of this work.

So much of our incredible beauty and diversity is in our northern landscapes: the Great Barrier Reef, our wet tropics rainforest, Kakadu, Uluru and the Kimberley. These places all have enduring, deep connections to First Nations Australians, and improving the prosperity of First Nations peoples and communities is critical to the success of the northern Australia agenda. I would like to recognise the Northern Australia Indigenous Reference Group, led by Professor Martin Nakata. Along with Minister King and Senator the Hon. Malarndirri McCarthy, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, we are working with the group on practical actions to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the north.

We also announced today the continuation of the investment period of the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility. The NAIF is our government's main investment vehicle in northern Australia, and its investment period will be extended for another decade—until mid 2036. This comes after a review earlier this year into NAIF's operations, which found overwhelming support for this facility across business, industry, government and the public. The NAIF is proving effective in developing northern Australia. It now has a portfolio of 32 projects forecast to generate more than $33 billion in public benefit. Its supports across sectors extend to tourism and supporting infrastructure.

NAIF supported projects include airport upgrades at regional hubs like Darwin, Alice Springs, Rockhampton, Townsville, Cairns and Mackay. As well as supporting connectivity across northern Australia, these upgrades will also support air travel from the north to other parts of Australia and to our near neighbours in the Pacific, and they will help our government deliver on improved mobility opportunities between the Pacific and Australia under the Pacific-Australia Labour Mobility scheme.

There are 31,000 PALM workers in Australia. More than half of these workers are in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland. These workers make vital economic contributions to regional Australia and enrich the communities that they are a part of. The PALM scheme is also highly valued by Pacific countries and Timor-Leste. They're contributing to Australia's economy and also to their own families and communities back home.

Before I close, I would like to acknowledge some of our northernmost communities are currently feeling the impacts of Cyclone Fina. Cyclone Fina has spent the past few days travelling across the Top End, causing considerable disruption and damage in Darwin and surrounds. The cleanup is underway, and we'll no doubt learn more about the full extent of the damage in the coming days. Many residents and businesses remain without power and water. While northerners are no strangers to cyclones, it continues to be an anxious time. Fina has continued over the north of Western Australia. Our thoughts are currently with the WA communities, and we wish them safety in these next few hours. We recognise the incredible efforts of our emergency personnel and volunteers, who put so much of their lives on the line to protect our communities during these events.

Finally, I'd like to put on the record my thanks to the many stakeholders across the north who work every single day to make our region the very best that it can be. Since my appointment as the Assistant Minister for Northern Australia a few months ago, their openness and willingness to partner with me and our government more broadly as we work to progress the northern agenda has been absolutely incredible. I have been meeting with people, community organisations, businesses and industry leaders right across the north, not just in my hometown in Cairns but, of course, in Townsville, Mount Isa, Mackay, Rockhampton, Darwin and Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, as well as some of our closest neighbours in the Pacific, including PNG and Fiji. These conversations have highlighted both the immense potential and the shared challenges of our vast region. Senators in this place will well know I have a vested interest in this policy area. I call the north home. I have a three-year-old daughter who is growing up in the north. I am part of a connected community on country that is incredibly beautiful and diverse. I'm sure that I speak for others in here in the Senate today who live or are lucky enough to spend time in the north when I say it is a very, very special place. Our regional and rural communities each have a unique identity and sense of community. Our people of the north work hard and often in challenging conditions. Cyclone Fina is a reminder of this. Our government is committed to supporting them now and for many generations to come into the future. Thank you.

Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Green. I'm sure we all wish everyone all the very best during this time.

David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I also, on behalf of my party, pass on our thoughts and concerns to our friends in the north. I was speaking to my colleagues in the Northern Territory, in Larrakia country, and it's been a pretty tough last few days for them. Of course, we all have an obligation to keep the climate safe for them. I rise to take note of the minister's report and comments, and, on behalf of my colleague Senator Allman-Payne, I seek leave to continue my remarks later.