The Northern Territory Government has released a new infrastructure framework strategy, plan and pipeline to support economic and population growth from 2022-2030.
The new Northern Territory infrastructure framework aligns infrastructure planning and investment with the Territory Government’s 2030 goals of a sustainable and diverse $40 billion economy, a population of 300,000 and 35,000 more jobs.
The new framework includes a refocused Northern Territory infrastructure strategy and plan and the addition of an infrastructure pipeline and regular infrastructure audit.
Northern Territory Minister for Territory Development, Eva Lawler, and Infrastructure Commissioner for the Northern Territory, Louise McCormick, released the new Northern Territory infrastructure strategy 2022 to 2030 and the infrastructure plan and pipeline in June 2022.
The framework, strategy, and plan and pipeline have been informed by consultation with government agencies at federal, territory and local levels, regional and Indigenous land councils and industry representative groups.
The new framework provides a clear direction and whole-of-government leadership for project planning, development and delivery that analyses, prioritises and supports well informed, evidence-based government infrastructure investment.
The Northern Territory Infrastructure Strategy 2022 to 2030 articulates a vision for infrastructure investment that enables growth of the Territory economy and population and supports the wellbeing and quality of life for all Territorians, underpinned by sustainability and resilience.
The strategy identifies three key elements that will influence its ability to achieve the Northern Territory Government’s vision:
- Developing the industry sectors that will grow the economy
- Supporting the growing population
- Enabling infrastructure ecosystems to support this growth
From these key elements, come four cross-cutting infrastructure investment objectives:
- Invest in the right infrastructure, in the right place, at the right time
- Support increased growth, productivity and innovation
- Improve liveability
- Embed sustainability and resilience
The strategy provides the foundation for the plan and pipeline.
The Northern Territory Infrastructure Plan and Pipeline 2022 provides a detailed roadmap to the investments that will enact the Government’s vision of a sustainable and diverse $40 billion economy by 2030.
The focus is on a place-based approach, which was strongly supported through the consultation feedback.
The plan and pipeline identifies projects, programs and proposals that will address challenges and capture opportunities in each of the regions throughout the Territory from a nationally significant perspective, Territory-wide view and from within the six distinct regions.
The new plan and pipeline differentiates between anticipated investment that will occur in the next five years that will impact the Territory’s economy (investment portfolio), unfunded proposals that are in the planning phase or have been identified as enabling an outcome (enabling infrastructure plan) and funded projects that will be delivered in the short term (infrastructure pipeline).
The new Northern Territory infrastructure audit will be completed in two phases:
- Phase 1 comprised a desktop study of existing material
- Phase 2 of the audit will provide a gap analysis of existing baseline infrastructure and service level standards, identify reforms to harness opportunity and address challenges in the mid-term to 2030 and the longer term to 2050
This is the first edition of the new infrastructure plan and pipeline, and this work will further evolve. Improvements will continue to be made with each ongoing, annual release of the infrastructure plan and pipeline.
The new infrastructure framework suite documents can be read here:
- NT infrastructure framework position paper
- NT infrastructure strategy 2022 to 2030
- NT infrastructure plan and pipeline 2022
