Debates Day 3 - Thursday 21 October 2010
Parliamentary Record 15
Debates for 11th Assembly 2008 - 2012; ParliamentNT; Parliamentary Record; 11th Assembly 2008 - 2012
2010-10-21
Made available by the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
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Debates
Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
Darwin
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DEBATES - Thursday 21 October 2010 have to support this industry, and the best way is by establishing a base in the Territory not only to supply services, but also to supply goods; a base not only for repair and maintenance, but a construction base. Some of the modules established in gas fields to exploit and export the gas are constructed overseas, namely Thailand or Vietnam. Questions have been asked about the quality in some of these manufacturing countries; there have been accidents when modules are loaded onto a boat and when they are in open, rough seas, they topple. It happened with Alcan. In most cases, it does not happen. One thing I aspire to is the oil and gas supply base the Western Australian government has established south of Perth, in Goulburn, which I have visited. Much of the platform module was constructed there and transported north. They have the capability to construct significant modules - we can do the same here. Many of these floating platforms with fly-in/fly-out workers have to have somewhere to helicopter their workers to the platforms and bring them back, and they require goods and services. At this stage, one of the small supply vessels we have here supplies water to gas fields and exploration rigs north of Broome. Companies like Shorelands in Darwin already provide goods and services to the oil and gas industry. However, because of the volume of gas to be exploited and the number of oil rigs to be constructed and established north of Darwin in the sea, this oil and gas supply base has to be big. It has to be one of the biggest in the country. It is going to be nearly equal to the supply base established in the North-West Shelf in Western Australia. I recently visited Singapore and met with Thomas Tan, who has a small place in Darwin he wants to expand. He is very keen to provide an expression of interest to the government for a big supply for the oil and gas industry. I also understand Shorelands holds a strategic alliance with a European company which specialises in oil and gas supply bases - one of the biggest in the world. I understand they will also put in an expression of interest. This news is very good for the Territory. What is even better is we are getting the oil and gas supply base established on the ground, on the shores of the Territory, to service not only the oil industry outside Territory waters, also in Commonwealth waters and within Western Australian waters. It is important because even if we do not get the big LNG plant in Darwin, the oil and gas supply bases will provide employment to hundreds of Territorians. People will be on the ground, on the boats, servicing the industry in and out. Also, the Western Australian companies welcome supply bases in the Territory because at the moment construction and other activities off the North-West Shelf in Western Australia - off Karratha and Port Hedland - are stressed to the limit. They face the same problem we face: they cannot get workers and, when they do, they have to pay significant salaries. In Port Hedland, if you want to lease a house you have to pay $1500 a week. I lived in Port Hedland from early 1990 to 1993, and you could get a really good house then for $200 or $300 a week and that was considered extremely expensive at that time. In addition, we have projects coming online for the Northern Territory. INPEX is one. Western Australia still cannot accept we took it away from them. On the other hand, industry sources have told me they were quite pleased INPEX came to Darwin because it provided some relief on their workforce and wages, which are expected to go through the roof in Western Australia. Our government has strongly promoted the Territory as a destination for mineral resources. It is the first government in the Territorys history to develop a specific strategy focusing on China and Japan to promote the Territory. Our next focus is Mr Elferink: Piffle, waffle, balderdash and truck. Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Mr VATSKALIS: Professor Elferink gave us some pearls of wisdom - it is usually rubbish. Madam Deputy Speaker, this is the only government to produce a dedicated strategy. I would like to quote, although I do not have it today, the speech the member for Goyder gave yesterday. I will quote it word for word, because she admitted it was our government, and me personally - thank you very much for the good words - that established the investment attraction strategy. It is significant; we did it; we will continue to do it, and we will continue to attract investment and market the Territory for mineral exploration and mining. We also want to attract investment in the Territory to establish an oil and gas supply base to support the oil and gas industry off Territory waters, Commonwealth waters, and off Western Australian waters. Mr TOLLNER (Fong Lim): Madam Deputy Speaker, goodness me, I agree with the member for Port Darwin: balderdash, tripe and piffle. What absolute nonsense. The fact we are debating this nonsense represents the victory of delusion over reality. What a bizarre thing when a government, and a Chief Minister, can come into this House and spout this utter nonsense. I was 6525