Today I was in Darwin to reaffirm the Federal Labor Government’s unprecedented $1.1 billion investment in the Northern Territory’s infrastructure following last week’s Federal Budget, which locked in funding for a number of vital projects including the widening of the last section of Tiger Brennan Drive.

Despite having increased annual infrastructure spending from $275 to $458 per Territorian in our previous five budgets, we recognise that the Territory’s growing population and future economic prosperity demands that this momentum be maintained.
On that score the 2013 Federal Budget delivered, providing real money for real projects that will make a real difference.
We honoured our earlier commitment to partner with the Territory Government to widen the remaining section of Tiger Brennan Drive between Berrimah Road and Darwin’s CBD, taking our total investment in the road to $144 million and making it the largest road project ever undertaken in the Territory.
Work on the project is expected to begin later this year.
Beyond Darwin, the Budget provides $90 million for our Regional Roads Productivity Package, which will:

• Strengthen and widen sections of the Roper Highway;


• Seal sections of Port Keats Road;


• Replace gravel along poor sections of the Santa Teresa Way;


• Erect a new bridge over rocky Bottom Creek along Central Arnhem Road;


• Strengthen, widen and seal sections of the Buntine Highway; and


• Replace gravel along poor sections of the Arnhem Link Road.

The rollout of this package of works will begin next year.
While we know there’s always more to be done, this Labor Government has reversed the neglect we inherited and is building the modern, well-planned transport infrastructure that makes working people’s lives easier, our businesses more competitive and the national economy stronger.
Federal Labor, after all, is the party of nation building infrastructure.
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Real Money for Real Projects in the NT—Project Status