We now borrow more than the total Budget

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2635 Treasurer OKBy ERWIN CHLANDA
 
Treasurer Nicole Manison this morning handed down a $7.2bn Budget, $300m more than last year.
 
Total borrowings by the NT Government estimated for 2018/19 are $6.3bn. In 2019/20 they will be $7.4bn and they are estimated to reach $9.8bn in 2022/23.
 
The interest payments in 2019/20 will be $345m (nearly a million dollars a day). In 2018/19 they were $313m.
 
The National Aboriginal Art Gallery in Alice Springs is in today’s Budget as a new vote for $47.9m, and $3.5m is allocated for an adventure cycling track in the West MacDonnell National Park.
 
“Planning to support construction” of the gallery is budgeted at $2.041m.
 
A new multi-day walking track in Central Australia has a $5.6m re-vote.
 
There is significant new expenditure for roads: “Improve Outback Way roads – upgrade and seal various sections of the Plenty Highway (east from the Stuart Highway, leading to Queensland) and Tjukaruru Road (between Yulara and Giles in WA) is budgeted at $45.8m.
 
These roads also have a revote of about $10m: “Spending under the Northern Australia Roads Program will include continuing to extend the seal of the Plenty Highway ($9.165m) and continuing to extend the seal on Tjukaruru Road ($1.138m).
 
New money for “Roads of Strategic Importance” include selected upgrades of Maryvale Road ($19.4m); selected upgrades on the Alice Springs to Halls Creek corridor, including upgrading Tanami Road and completing the seal to Yuendumu ($4.338m); selected upgrades on the Alice Springs to Darwin corridor ($3.51m); and headworks infrastructure and subdivision works to support the development of Kilgariff stage 2 ($4.1m).
 
Other re-votes include investigations to support the delivery of industrial land in Alice Springs ($500,000).
 
The Alice Springs Correctional Centre will get a fence and security system upgrade ($1.156m); there will be upgrades upgrades to the youth and domestic violence court in Alice Springs ($1.797m).
 
Revotes for the Central Australia Health Service include, for the hospital, relocation of substation above the flood level ($2.2m); and pathology and public services building asbestos removal and related relocation works ($1.6m).
 
Department of Tourism, Sport and Culture revotes include construction of a new viewing platform at the end of Kings Creek walk ($482,000); $2.7m for the Hermannsburg Historic Precinct upgrades; upgrades to various motorsport and recreation infrastructure ($3.469m) and in the West MacDonnell National Park a new adventure cycling track ($8.4m).
 
Revotes for the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics include the City Deals project “for the development of revitalising infrastructure in the Alice Springs town centre” ($14.673m).
 
A Territory Families revote is for the upgrades to electrical, fire and mechanical services in the Alice Springs Youth Detention Centre upgrades to electrical, fire and mechanical services ($1m).
 
A staggering $5m will be spent on “supporting” Partjima – lights on the hill.
 
$142m will go to government and non-government schools in The Centre, $33m for out of home care and child protection and $8m for pre-schools, $6m to implement the Indigenous Education Strategy, $5m for early childhood education, $4m over three years “support for schools” and $4m for isolated student education through the School of the Air.
 
Pictured are Chief Minister Michael Gunner and Treasurer Nicole Manison as she delivered the 2019/20 NT Budget this morning.
 
 
 

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