The Australian government hopes to boost the development of gas resources in Northern Territory’s Beetaloo basin by funding a road-building scheme, it said in a January 14 statement.

Minister for resources, water and Northern Australia Keith Pitt said the investment will help open up one of the regions identified through the Strategic Basin Plan for a gas-led recovery. “The basin has the potential to transform the Northern Territory’s economy, creating thousands of jobs and supply Australia’s gas demand for decades to come,” Pitt said. “These roads upgrades will provide quality infrastructure to support gas development and other industries in and around the Beetaloo sub-basin."

The Northern Territory’s Gas Industry Roads Upgrades programme, funded through the Roads of Strategic Importance (ROSI) initiative "demonstrates the Australian government’s commitment to improving the road network in regional, rural and remote parts of Northern Territory," the government said.

“The Australian government has committed to substantial investments in infrastructure that will support the Beetaloo development, as well as directly benefit local communities, industry and pastoralists,” it said.

Northern Territory minister for infrastructure, planning and logistics, Eva Lawler said the road upgrades will open up economic opportunities for the state.

The total of A$217mn (US$167mn) funding for the new Northern Territory Gas Industry Roads Upgrades corridor is expected to support more than 400 jobs, the government said. Funding will also include a A$325,000 study for the development a fully operational multimodal facility and rail terminal in the Northern Territory to meet the current and future growth needs of Tennant Creek and the Barkly region.

The development study is expected to start in early 2021 and be completed by the end of the year.