6 May 2021
The proposed 35MW Darwin big battery has received a major funding boost, with the federal government announcing it would provide $15 million of the estimated $30 million cost of the project, which is expected to significantly reduce gas generation in the local grid.
The Darwin battery – with about half an hour of storage – is to be built on the Darwin-Katherine grid and is considered crucial to allow more rooftop solar and more large scale solar farms to be added to that grid. A tender process is underway, and a tender is expected to be finalised in the next two months.
Federal energy minister Angus Taylor says the funds – along with another $15 million to support remote renewable micro-grids – is part of a bilateral deal with the Northern Territory government. That deal is yet to be finalised and will likely include significant support for major gas projects.
NT Government
Making sure the Territory is the comeback capital of Australia is the main goal of the Territory Labor Government.
Attracting private investment opportunities to the Territory is one way to create ongoing local jobs for Territorians.
Budget 2021 sees $2.7 million towards further developing the Mapping the Future Program, through the finalisation of soil and land surveys and water and biodiversity assessments in prospective areas on the Territory.
Assessments which will be completed towards the middle of 2022 include:
Land capability and biodiversity surveys to inform rezoning and development decisions in the Katherine Land Use Plan area;
Soil and land, Biodiversity and water investigations at Deep Well to inform future land release; and
NT Government
The Territory Labor Government is bolstering job creating projects and private investment with the establishment of the Infrastructure NT Commission.
We have established the Territory Investment and Major Project Commissioners to actively pursue investment and drive major projects in the Territory. The Infrastructure NT Commissioner will ensure we build the public infrastructure needed to deliver those important job-creating projects, providing a crucial link to achieving the NT Government’s goal of a $40 billion economy by 2030.
The Infrastructure NT Commissioner will have a direct channel to the Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics and will give effect to the Territory Economic Reconstruction Commission’s recommendation to establish a strategic infrastructure planning and development function that plans for, coordinates and aligns infrastructure needs with industry and population growth.
Many office workers in Darwin find themselves reaching for a jacket before lunchtime, shivering inside some of the country's least-energy-efficient buildings. Now there's a new push for minimum standards that other states have been meeting for more than a decade.
Creating an Ongoing Pipeline of Work for Territorians miragenews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from miragenews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.