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Building Australia’s Future, or Stalling It?

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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.  

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Fuelling the Future

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One Nation supports the bill to extend the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) decision-making window to June 2036, putting it on a stronger operational footing to help cut through bureaucratic red tape.

While we support northern development, we strongly oppose the inclusion of net-zero transition goals and special-treatment identity politics in the NAIF investment mandate.

One Nation advocates for equal rights for all Australians without special racial categories, proposing direct grants to local and Indigenous councils backed by proper Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) accountability.

We believe taxpayer funds should not back net-zero measures; projects like wind, solar, or batteries must stand on their own financial merits without government subsidies.

We champion critical infrastructure to unlock real wealth, including the Great Australian Infrastructure Network (GAIN) transcontinental railway, major water and dam projects and regional transport links.

I moved an amendment to ensure NAIF prioritises productive economic growth, directly finances extraction of coal and natural gas and explicitly blocks funding for net-zero measures, which was defeated by Labor, Greens and Teals.

We need to rebuild our country, cut out the bureaucratic and ideological interference, and leave a legacy of wealth, abundance, and opportunity for all Australians.

Transcript

The north of Australia is Australia’s future. One Nation supports the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Amendment Bill 2026. The Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility, commonly known as NAIF, was established as a Commonwealth corporate entity in 2016 with bipartisan support. It was tasked with a $5 billion financing mandate to drive a 10-year mission to provide economic and social growth across northern Australia through the provision of concessional loans and financial support to private and public infrastructure projects. The NAIF has been upgraded, amended and fiddled with in 2018, 2021 and now 2026. Hopefully this bill is third time lucky. 

Since 2016, NAIF has handed out over $3 billion of the original $5 billion, with a total of $4.5 billion committed. The government has extended the pool to $7 billion. This bill extends the investment decision-making ability for the NAIF from June 2026 to June 2036. It adds additional requirements for the NAIF to report to the minister if there’s any deviation in compliance with their investment mandate. It implements the joint ministerial oversight model, which will see increased joint responsibilities for NAIF board appointments between the Minister for Northern Australia and the Minister for Finance. It establishes statutory reviews every five years. It requires NAIF to align with existing provisions in the legislation of other Commonwealth investment vehicles. In short, this bill puts NAIF on a stronger footing to carry out their mandate. 

It is, though, the mandate that One Nation objects to. The Albanese government changed the mandate in 2026 to include economic development in the north—that’s fair enough—and alleviating social or economic disadvantage in northern communities—fair enough. However, the mandate also included improving First Nations outcomes and achieving Australia’s net zero transition goals. 

One Nation’s policy is to improve outcomes for Aboriginal communities through improving all communities right across the Top End. To One Nation, it doesn’t matter if a community is Aboriginal or white or any colour in between. We care about Australians equally. We will advance policy based on equal rights for all—special rights for none. Our policy is to provide grants directly to local government, including Aboriginal councils across northern Australia, so that ANAO, the Australian National Audit Office, can audit where the money goes and what benefit the community derive from that money. Accountability in the Aboriginal industry—now there’s a concept. 

As for making NAIF about net zero, that’s not happening under a One Nation government. We will require NAIF to support any project which represents value for money for the taxpayers while meeting a real need. If that’s wind or solar or a big battery then so be it, but the numbers must add up without taxpayer money. We don’t propose to change the investment mandate other than to take the woke back out. 

Let me give you some examples of how Australia will restore wealth, prosperity and opportunity for all who are here. These are not One Nation projects. There’s no taking credit here. It’s about building the nation from the Albanese government, state governments and private industry for the good of our whole nation. Funding for these projects is provided through private financiers, with the possibility of a public-private partnership to ensure Australia’s interests are looked after. NAIF is required in the early stage to show the government is serious about investment. 

For too long, major projects have been held up through bureaucratic and political indecision, sometimes caused by environmental laws, but mostly just incompetence. This has led to trust issues between investors and the government. This is not a reflection on the Albanese government per se; this problem has been going on under successive Liberal, National and Labor governments for 20 years, which is why the NAIF is essential to providing early-stage funding and guiding these projects through the bureaucratic jungle expeditiously. After all, if the Albanese government is going to flood Australia with new arrivals as it is, we must generate new wealth to share with them, or else everyone goes backwards, which is what is happening right now. 

Projects One Nation will be strongly supporting include the great Australian infrastructure network, GAIN, which involves a railroad crossing across northern Australia, linking iron ore projects in Western Australia with Queensland metalliferous coal in the Bowen Basin. Steel mills will be located at each end to provide sovereign capacity in steel and steel by-products, including cement, fertiliser and ammonia, which is the material from which pharmaceuticals are made. This development will use water from Lake Argyle in Western Australia and from a new weir where the Urannah dam was to be located. 

The railway will include a multifunction corridor bringing town water, electricity and an internet backbone connection. The internet connection is of utmost importance for national security. While the old offshore copper connection between Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth has been upgraded, it’s not capable of carrying Australia’s internet traffic. I’ll just say that. It’s not capable, as it is, of carrying Australia’s international traffic. It needs duplication. For a signal to get from Brisbane to Perth, it must travel via a jump-off point in Brisbane up to Asia, often as far as China, then back down again to Perth. What could possibly go wrong with that? This proposal has had a long history going back more than 100 years. The current proponents have assembled an impressive team, capitalised their project sponsor vehicle and have already exceeded any development conducted in the past through previous sponsors using all new and unencumbered intellectual property—all new on a proven concept. 

Project sponsors have advanced proposals to complete Inland Rail from Parkes in New South Wales to the Port of Gladstone, using what’s been called the forestry route. A second proponent is advocating a route due north from Goondiwindi via Moonie to Dalby and on to the Port of Gladstone, where a major container handling facility is currently out to tender. I look forward to the Crisafulli government fast-tracking this amazing proposal to take Australia’s container handling into the 21st century. 

One Nation will also build the Big Rocks Weir, Emu Swamp Dam and the Hughenden irrigation project, and complete the reconstruction of Paradise Dam. There are other projects under development. Once again, these are not One Nation projects. We are promoting them and would be happy to promote any other project that will restore wealth and abundance for all. The NAIF has an important role to play in that process. We need to rebuild our country and leave a legacy for our children and for the descendants of all in Australia right now. We need to restore Australia and make it magnificent again. I move: 

At the end of the motion, add “, but the Senate is of the opinion that: 

(a) the Investment Mandate for the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility must prioritise productive infrastructure which will grow the Australian economy and provide breadwinner jobs for everyday Australians; 

(b) financial assistance should be encouraged under the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Act 2016 for measures which: 

(i) directly finance the extraction of coal or natural gas, 

(ii) directly finance the construction of pipeline infrastructure, including for the extraction of natural gas, and 

(iii) directly finance the mining of natural resources, including coal; and 

(c) financial assistance must not be provided for net zero measures”. 

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History Remembers the Builders

Following my questions to Minister Farrell regarding the Great Australian Infrastructure project (GAIN) and despite giving him advance notice of the topic, the Minister was still unable to provide an update on its progress.

To be clear, I wasn’t asking for project approval; I simply wanted a commitment to advancing it expeditiously. For a minister who claims that advance notice helps him check status, he clearly ignored it entirely.

Infrastructure should be bipartisan. These are Australia’s projects, not One Nation’s, and history remembers who builds, not who plays politics.

I urge the Labor government to take the win, advance this work and grow our productive capacity to deliver wealth and opportunity for all Australians.

And the best part? These projects require no significant taxpayer investment.

International banks want to fund Australian infrastructure, but trust has been broken by major government project failures like Inland Rail, Snowy Hydro 2.0, and Adani.

While construction money is ready, funding for business cases is stuck. Project backers only want a small amount of government financial commitment in the middle stages to prove the government is serious, especially since private investors already paid for the early stages.

With our population surging, our GDP is being sliced thinner and thinner and Australians are feeling it. A responsible government’s duty is to grow the pie through essential infrastructure like roads, rail, ports, pipelines, processing of our minerals into steel for domestic use and export, creating strong breadwinner jobs.

Update: Following this question, Minister Farrell followed up with NAIF. They contacted the project sponsor and the project is now moving forward. Thank you, Minister Farrell!

Transcript

Despite me providing the minister with not only a notice of my question last Thursday but also the actual question, he was unable to provide an update on the progress of the project. I was not asking for the project to be approved. I was merely asking for the minister to commit to ensuring the project was advanced expeditiously. Despite the minister saying advance notice gave him time to determine the status of the project, he clearly had not done so. 

I’m stunned. Infrastructure should be bipartisan. One Nation is not trying to take credit for the 12 projects we’re working on with proponents. They’re not our projects; they’re Australia’s projects. History will not remember the politics of the project; it will remember which government built it. To the Prime Minister I say: take the win, advance the project, grow Australia’s productive capacity and deliver wealth and opportunity to all Australians—those who were here first and those who have come since. 

These projects do not require any significant taxpayer investment. International merchant banks have seen through the net zero scam and are now desperate to finance actual, proper productive infrastructure. Australia is a prime destination for international capital, which has realised successive Liberal and Labor governments have neglected infrastructure for so long. There is a plethora of opportunities here. 

While the financing is available for construction, it’s not available for business cases. There’s a simple reason for that: international capital does not trust the Australian government any longer. After fiascos like Inland Rail, Snowy Hydro 2.0 and the Adani mine, who would trust us? Proponents want to see government skin in the game before committing their own money. This may be as little as millions for middle-stage development. All of these projects have already had private funding for early-stage development. 

Australia is bringing in so many people our GDP is being sliced into smaller and smaller slices, and the public are feeling it. Any responsible government has a duty to grow the pie and increase GDP to maintain our standard of living. The way to do that is roads, rail, port, pipelines and internet backbones. It includes tertiary processing of Australian minerals, coal and iron ore into steel for domestic use and export, taking advantage of our resources to undercut foreign steel and create breadwinner jobs—union jobs. I look forward to Minister Farrell updating himself on this project before we return in September. (Time expired) 

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