Territory Labor senator Malarndirri McCarthy raised the issue of funding for the Darwin cities deal at Tuesdays Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee.

She questioned why funding for the relocation of CDU may come out of the NAIF and why no other cities deal has been funded this way.

The senate committee was told there have been discussions with Charles Darwin University and the North Australian Infrastructure Fund and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

Senator McCarthy said the way the Federal Government plans investment in the NT is ad hoc.

The money that was allocated to the cities deal now looks to be coming out of NAIF, she said. Next week will be the 1st Birthday of the Darwin Cities Deal MOU. This is an anniversary of chit chat. Other cities deals were clearly laid out in the Budget but Darwin has been left out.

Executive director of the Federal Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities, Mary Wiley-Smith said the nature of a cities deal varied on the location.

When looking at the broad range of discussions on the table we are exploring a wide range of options, she said.

There are five components of a cities deal and only one of the components is around transformative investment.

If a project gets grant funding it is because it is needed to get the project off the ground, If there is an innovative project that is best to use a loan facility, rather than a grant sometimes that is the best way to go.

All three levels of government have to agree to the elements of a cities deal and how it will be funded. Commitments could be around the way the deal is co-ordinated.

Source: NT NEWSMay 23, 2018 12:32pm