17 February 2015
Brad Thompson
North West Star
A NORTHERN infrastructure corridor could be one of the key selling points to attract developers to choose Mount Isa as the link for a gas pipeline between the Northern Territory and the East Coast.
Key stakeholders from Tennant Creek – the Northern Territory town proposed as one of the options to link with Mount Isa for the project – met for in-depth discussions on the pipeline in Mount Isa on Tuesday.
Mount Isa Mayor Tony McGrady, state member for Mount Isa Rob Katter, Commerce North West, and regional development group Mount Isa to Townsville Economic Development Zone met with key Tennant Creek and Northern Territory proponents to ramp up the two citys’ viability for the project.
The Tennant Creek to Mount Isa route is in competition with Alice Springs to Moomba in South Australia.
Stakeholders from Mount Isa and Tennant Creek are adamant the towns are best placed to be the chosen route with the cost of $900 million much cheaper than the $1.3 billion cost of the Alice Springs to Moomba proposal.
MITEZ chief executive Glen Graham said the project should be pushed as a nation-building and developing northern Australia opportunity – and these aspects should be marketed to developers.
Developing a northern Australia infrastructure corridor between the two towns should be a selling point, Mr Graham said.
He said the alternative route of Alice Springs to Moomba had no nation-building or developing northern Australia benefits.
Mr Graham also highlights the benefits of new and existing mines benefitting from the gas supply along the pipeline between Mount Isa and Tennant Creek.
IMPORTANT TALKS: Tennant Creek and Mount Isa proponents for a gas pipeline link between the two cities to join the Northern Territory to the East coast gas market, met in Mount Isa on Tuesday.Courtesy of the North West Star