Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Watt, the Minister representing the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. In this government's first budget, $1.9 billion in equity investment was allocated for the development of the Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct in Darwin Harbour. Part of this funding is for common use marine infrastructure. Can the government rule out that this port will have a fossil fuel component such as a gas fed petrochemical hub?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you Senator Cox for your question. As you're aware and as you've said, the government will provide $1.9 billion in planned equity to support the development of the Middle Arm precinct in Darwin, together with regional logistic hubs along key transport links. It is intended to be a multipurpose precinct, so I am not in a position at this point in time to rule in particular developments or rule out particular developments. But this investment will enable the precinct to be globally competitive and sustainable, with a focus on low-emission production, green hydrogen and critical minerals processing.

As you're probably aware, Senator Cox, demand for clean energy sources is growing, particularly in the Northern Territory, and Labor's investment will help position the Northern Territory and northern Australia to diversify their economy and create new jobs. This investment is not a subsidy for fossil fuels in the way that some people have characterised it. Rather, funding will go towards infrastructure that will support users to export clean energy that is critical to meeting our commitment to net zero, like green hydrogen and lithium batteries that are critical to decarbonisation.

Particularly in my previous role as shadow minister for Northern Australia, I spent a lot of time in the Northern Territory with my good friend Senator McCarthy, along with House of Representatives member from the Northern Territory Luke Gosling and Warren Snowdon, the former member, and now Marion Scrymgour. I know they are passionate advocates for the Northern Territory to diversify the economy up there and to take advantage of some of the incredible natural and mineral resources that the Northern Territory has. There are extremely exciting projects in the offing in the Northern Territory in that clean energy space, and I think they offer an opportunity to produce lots of very important jobs for that part of the country.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cox, a first supplementary?

Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Northern Territory government's investment website recently changed its description of the Middle Arm project by deleting references to petrochemicals. Did the federal government ask for this public information to be edited?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, I don't know what evidence Senator Cox has for suggesting that the federal government may have been involved in this, and I really think that questions as to what the Northern Territory government puts in documents are questions that should be directed to the Northern Territory government.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cox?

Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order on relevance: it was about whether the federal government gave permission for this to be edited.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Cox. The minister is being directly relevant.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, questions as to what Northern Territory government documents do or do not contain should be directed to the Northern Territory government. It's all very well for the Greens to roll in, as they like to do, and ask 'Did you do this? Did you do that?'—promoting some kind of conspiracy theory—without any evidence for it whatsoever. Perhaps Senator Cox would like to present any evidence she has to suggest that the federal government was involved in that. As I said, this is a really important development for the Northern Territory that the federal government is very pleased to back. It provides an opportunity for some very important job development in the Northern Territory going forward.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cox, a second supplementary?

Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When I attended COP27 this year in Sharm El Sheikh, I heard about the government's commitment to the protection of mangroves. Darwin Harbour has significant mangroves. How many hectares of mangroves will be destroyed by blasting in the creation of Middle Arm's federally funded marine infrastructure?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very well aware that the Albanese government takes issues of environmental protection, including mangrove protection, extremely seriously. I know Minister Plibersek is doing a lot on this front, particularly as the environment minister for our country.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Senator Cox?

Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, a point of order on relevance. How many hectares of mangroves are going to be destroyed by this marine infrastructure being developed? It's a very simple question.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Cox. You also referenced COP, and I do believe the minister is being relevant.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This development, like every development that is proposed for Australia of the scale of this development, will have to go through an EIS process. That EIS process would consider the very matters that Senator Cox is questioning, and that is the appropriate process in which to make those sorts of decisions, based on expert evidence about what all of the environmental impacts of this development would be, whether they be about mangroves or any other feature of the development.

As I say, and as I continue to say, this is an important development for the Northern Territory and it's an important development for the entire country. We support it, we support the jobs that come with it and we support the clean energy that will come with it as well. (Time expired)