Download Discussion draft: 10 Year Infrastructure Plan

Discussion draft
10 YEAR INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
To unlock the Northern Territory’s economic potential and social opportunities we need a
framework to plan and prioritise infrastructure projects, based on informed investment
decisions. Please read in outline view for best navigational experience.
The cost of maintaining existing infrastructure
assets and investing in new infrastructure is one of
the biggest challenges in the Northern
Territory. It is vital that decisions on infrastructure
planning, investment and delivery achieve the best
outcomes for the Northern Territory within
available funding.
Government expenditure as a proportion of the
Northern Territory economy is significant, but it
cannot sustainably grow the economy.
All levels of government and the private sector
have an equally important role to play in owning,
financing, building and operating infrastructure.
While the 10 Year Infrastructure Plan, informed by
the Economic Development Framework and
Infrastructure Strategy, incorporates planned and
proposed infrastructure projects, over a
10 year horizon across all levels of government
and the private sector, it is not an exhaustive list
of all anticipated infrastructure and civil
construction activity.
The document provides the context for the role
infrastructure plays in meeting government
objectives and industry and community needs. It
also provides a framework for a more transparent
and integrated approach to how
we plan, prioritise, use and deliver infrastructure, in
partnership with all levels of government, the
private sector and the community to provide
confidence and certainty about the future direction
for infrastructure provision in the Northern
Territory.
In the short term the Infrastructure Plan is intended
to help industry with its own planning and
workforce management and inform decisionmaking across all levels of government. Over the
longer term, the Infrastructure Plan sets direction
for planning and delivering infrastructure across the
Northern Territory.
The document identifies the drivers for infrastructure
delivery, the impact of infrastructure spend on our
economy, a framework for project delivery, and
provides assessments and planned and proposed
infrastructure projects for growth and essential
sectors.
Challenges
Planning and delivering infrastructure plays a vital
role in managing growth and harnessing economic
opportunities.
Significant distances separate our population
centres across the Territory. Our challenge is to
ensure that people in regional and remote areas
continue to have access to services that will
provide a healthy start to life, a good education
and the opportunity for enduring employment.
Creating jobs and job ready Territorians through
providing enablers for new business investment,
encouraging new industries, supporting private
sector business to access new markets, and
education facilities.
Enabling greater Indigenous participation through
providing better access to services such as public
housing, health and education.
Connecting our regions and communities by
delivering on transport infrastructure needs for
reliability and accessibility and expanding
telecommunications infrastructure.
Enhancing liveability by maintaining high quality
education, health and public safety which makes
the Territory an attractive place to work, live and
raise families.
Opportunities
The impact of making good infrastructure
investment decisions can significantly improve the
quality of living, transform communities and cities
and create real long term economic benefits.
We need to get the balance right between growing
our economy, providing essential and social
services across the Territory and ensuring
sustainable use of our natural resources.
To this end, the Infrastructure Plan is guided by
the following key infrastructure objectives and
drivers which set the policy framework and guide
infrastructure assessment and prioritisation
decisions.
Growing and diversifying the economy through
working in partnership with our growth and
development sectors.
Defining and articulating the key objectives and
drivers for infrastructure investment is the first step
to ensure project selection is considered against
broader economic and social objectives.
Clearly articulating the Northern Territory’s plans in
one central document which sets the direction for
infrastructure delivery over a 10 year horizon
provides us with the opportunity to better
coordinate across government and the private
sector, maximise economies of scale
when constructing new, and maintaining existing,
infrastructure, and better utilise our extensive
existing infrastructure networks.
Through this integrated approach we can
maximise our investment, embrace opportunities
through new technology, better utilise the finite
resources we have, and as a result build resilience
and economic opportunities across the Territory.
Infrastructure priorities
Sustained economic growth and development is
critical to the Northern Territory. Investment in
Government capital works alone is insufficient and
will not generate enduring game changing
economic outcomes. Investment in economically
transformational strategic infrastructure,
particularly in partnership with the private sector,
is critical.
Industry, business and community stakeholders
have recognised this through the Economic
Summits process and nominated projects for
consideration. This has provided a starting point
to identify infrastructure priorities for the
Northern Territory.
The Northern Territory Government appreciates
the effort which has gone into developing and
submitting the ideas and will be working through a
process of scoping, feasibility analysis and business
case development to advance projects which will
deliver targeted outcomes.
The 10 Year Infrastructure Plan also identifies
planned and proposed infrastructure projects for
our growth sectors of agribusiness, tourism,
defence, and energy and minerals to providing
better access to health, education, housing and
justice services and the need for better networks,
including transport and logistics as well as
improved internet and mobile phone connectivity
across the Northern Territory.
We would like to hear whether you think the
infrastructure projects we have proposed and the
ideas submitted by industry will address the
challenges to the Territory’s economic and social
development. Your feedback will guide the 10 Year
Infrastructure Plan which will be published in May
2017.
The Northern Territory needs to be sufficiently agile
and responsive to ensure that appropriate levels of
pre-emptive investment is made to position it to
seize opportunities as they arise. Therefore the 10
Year Infrastructure Plan will be a living document,
refreshed annually to recognise these evolving
project specific priorities.
This document is a discussion draft produced for public feedback
and input.
Comments, feedback and ideas are welcome before Monday 3
April.
You can have your say:
 in person at the public economic summits
 by emailing [email protected]
 by providing feedback online at
economicsummit.nt.gov.au
 in writing to the Northern Australia Development Office,
GPO Box 3200, Darwin NT 0801.