Great Australian Infrastructure (GAIN), led by a consortium of major Australian companies, would add over $100 billion to Australia’s GDP and create 40,000 vital “breadwinner” jobs. This project would deliver essential transport, power, water, and internet connectivity across northern Australia, helping to lift remote Aboriginal communities out of poverty.

I questioned Minister Farrell (representing the Minister for Northern Australia) about the long-delayed GAIN proposal, which has been sitting with the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) for over two months despite proponents providing all requested information.

Minister Farrell acknowledged the ambition of the transcontinental rail proposal (from the Pilbara to the Bowen Basin) yet shrugged off the delay, comparing it historically to the decades it took to build the Alice Springs-to-Darwin railway.

Why is the supposed “party of the worker” dragging its feet on a project that would create tens of thousands of jobs in mining, steel, ceramics and cement vital for housing construction?

The government’s inaction regarding this vital infrastructure project is baffling. GAIN would provide basic utilities, fresh food and improved market access for Indigenous cattle graziers, improving the current appalling living conditions in remote communities.

Minister Farrell conceded that the proposal’s aims were worthwhile and agreed to personally make inquiries to see where the project’s assessment is up to and get back to me.

Update: Thank you to the Minister for achieving a result. With the NAIF providing clear direction, the ball is now in the project sponsor’s court.

I look forward to continuing to work with the Government to bring this incredibly beneficial project to life.

Transcript

Senator ROBERTS: My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Northern Australia, Senator Farrell. Minister, the great Australian infrastructure project—  

Honourable senators interjecting—  

The PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Roberts, please resume your seat. Order across the chamber. I need to be able to hear the question. Senator Roberts, I’m going to invite you to start again, and I expect there to be silence.  

Senator ROBERTS: Thank you, President. There’ll be no welcome to country. My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Northern Australia, Senator Farrell. The great Australian infrastructure project, GAIN, proposal has been with the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility for more than two months now. The proponents have provided all the information the NAIF requested.  

This proposal is coming from a consortium of leading Australian companies, some publicly listed, who have the expertise and resources including funding to progress this project. The GAIN project will add more than $100 billion to Australia’s GDP, provide 40,000 breadwinner jobs and provide transport, power, water and internet access across northern Australia, including lifting remote Aboriginal communities out of poverty through improved market access, town services and tourism.  

Minister, will you undertake to work with the NAIF to progress GAIN as a matter of urgency?  

Senator FARRELL (Minister for Trade and Tourism, Special Minister of State and Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate): I thank Senator Roberts for his intriguing question and thank him for the advance notice, which gives me an opportunity to give a very factual response.  

Senator Scarr: As opposed to usual.  

Senator FARRELL: That is very unkind. Look, I could be hurt by something like that, but I won’t take offence. So just as to make sure I understand this particular project, the idea behind this particular project, is to run a transcontinental railway line from Pilbara through to the Bowen Basin. That’s the proposal we’re talking about here, I think. Senator Roberts, just to make sure—?  

The PRESIDENT: Senator Farrell, Senator Roberts has asked a fulsome question. It’s not question and answer. Thank you for standing, Senator Roberts, but I’m going to ask the minister to continue.  

Senator FARRELL: Well, let’s assume for the purpose of the debate—and perhaps in your subsequent question, you can answer that question—if this item has only recently been put forward to the NAIF then I don’t think the proponents on a proposal like this, a very dramatic big-picture proposal, should necessarily expect a response in weeks. It obviously is a very ambitious project. I can recall when South Australia handed back the Northern Territory to the federal government in 1911, the condition was that the railway line between Alice Springs and Darwin would be completed and that took another 80 years to happen, so these big-picture proposals don’t occur overnight. But can I say this— (Time expired)  

The PRESIDENT: Senator Roberts, a first supplementary? 

Senator ROBERTS: The mining industry employs 314,000 Australians directly and 800,000 indirectly. These are largely breadwinner jobs that create families. Many are union members. Minister, why is the supposed party of the worker showing no interest in a project that will create tens of thousands of breadwinner jobs in mining, steel, ceramics, fertiliser, industrial gas—including oxygen—and cement, which we badly need for housing construction and to revitalise the productivity in this country?  

Senator FARRELL: I would hope all of the jobs would be union jobs, not just some—the Australian Workers’ Union, I suppose, a very good union, a very fine union actually, come to think of it. All of those things that you’ve just mentioned are really, really good things for this country to be doing and, I would imagine, would be the sorts of things that the NAIF is interested in. But the NAIF has an independent board process that assesses all project financing applications against its investment mandate and rigorous due diligence requirements. You wouldn’t want a project that can’t be successful to be supported by public funds, I’m sure. These processes can take some time, and as the NAIF very, very diligently manages public funds— (Time expired)  

The PRESIDENT: Senator Roberts, second supplementary? 

Senator ROBERTS: Aboriginal communities across the Top End are living in appalling conditions. The GAIN project will bring transport, town water, electricity, internet, fresh food and market access to more than 100 remote communities. It will facilitate movement of cattle to port in a way that does not stress the animal and improve returns to Aboriginal communities who rely on grazing for their income. Minister, why is the government not interested in a real project to change the lives of Aboriginals in remote communities?  

Senator FARRELL: Senator Roberts, this government is interested in doing exactly what you say in Indigenous communities around the country. Obviously, if this project could help those people, then that’s a very good thing. Given your interest in this, Senator Roberts, I shall personally make some inquiries to see whether or not I can find out where this proposal is up to. It’s a very ambitious proposal. I think you’re being a little bit unrealistic in how quickly you can expect a response, but, nevertheless, I shall take it upon myself to make an inquiry to see where it’s up to and I shall come back to you personally on this issue as soon as I can.