On behalf of an Independent Expert Panel (the Panel), we’re seeking your feedback to inform the 2024 Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Act 2016 (the Act) Review.
Why we want your input
Your input will help inform the Review and the future activities, governance arrangements and operations of the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF). Your views will also make sure the recommendations for the Australian Government are relevant to your region and industry.How you can voice your opinion
You can provide a submission below before 23:59 AEST 21 October 2024.What will be the outcome of this consultation?
Your views will help inform the written report the expert panel will provide to the Minister for Northern Australia and the Minister for Finance for consideration. The Review, including the final report, will be finalised by the end of 2024.The Issue
The NAIF is a $7 billion government Specialist Investment Vehicle established by the Australian Government under the Act to facilitate economic growth in northern Australia by financing transformative infrastructure projects.
As at 31 July 2024, NAIF has a portfolio of 32 projects, ranging from large-scale critical minerals and energy developments to social infrastructure – including universities – to airport upgrades, health infrastructure, agriculture and aquaculture. This has resulted in a commitment of around $4.4 billion, forecast to generate more than $33 billion in economic impact and more than 18,000 jobs across northern Australia. NAIF’s pre-investment pipeline represents $3.1 billion in potential future loans and demonstrates interest in NAIF finance remains strong. Section 43 of the Act stipulates a review of the operation of the Act must be undertaken as soon as possible after 30 June 2024. The Review, at a minimum, must:
- consider whether the time limit of 30 June 2026 for making decisions to provide financial assistance should be extended, and
- consider appropriate governance arrangements for the facility after that date.
The Review will also consider the effectiveness of the Act in delivering its intended goals of facilitating economic growth and ensuring future Australian Government investment in economic infrastructure in northern Australia genuinely reflects the operating environment, including sectoral diversity and enhancing opportunities for First Nations employment and procurement. The Review is not a performance review of the NAIF, but rather an assessment of the success of the Act in achieving its desired outcomes.
Visit the 2024 Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Act Review website for more information about the Review and the consultation process.
Discussion Paper
You can use the Discussion Paper to help guide your submission.
The Discussion Paper outlines key areas of interest for the Panel, and includes questions you may like to address in your submission. You can address all the questions or just those that are relevant to you. Your submission is not limited to the questions.
Relevant documentation
Participate
28 Aug 2024 12:00 AEST
21 Oct 2024 23:59 AEDT
Closed
We invite you to tell us your views on this topic.
Please include:
- contact name
- organisation name, if applicable
- contact details, including telephone number, postal and email addresses
- confirmation whether or not your submission can be made public—published—or kept confidential.
All submissions to be made public need to meet the Digital Service Standard for accessibility. Any submission that does not meet this standard may be modified before being made public.
If your submission is to be made public, please ensure you do not include any personal information that you don't want to be published.
If your submission is confidential, please ensure each page of the submission is marked as confidential.
Please click on the 'Have your say now' button below to upload your submission.
This consultation is closed.
Privacy Collection Notice
Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Act 2016 Review
Your submission, including any personal information supplied, is being collected by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (the department) in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988.
Use
The department may use your submission to inform consideration of issues associated with and resulting from the review of the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Act 2016 (NAIF Act), including but not limited to informing the Australian Government’s response to the findings of the review, and consideration of future policy proposals arising from the review.
Disclosure
The department may disclose your submission to the independent review panel (Review Panel) to inform their review of the NAIF Act and preparation of the report of the review.
Subject to your agreement, the department may also disclose your submission (including confidential submissions) to other Commonwealth agencies including but not limited to, the Department of Finance) for the purposes of verifying or obtaining information to inform the Review Panel in their review and preparation of the report.
The department may publish your submission as explained below. Otherwise your submission will not be disclosed unless authorised or required by law.
Contacting You
The department may use your contact information to make further contact with you about your submission and the consultation process.
Publication
Unless marked confidential (see below) submissions (including the author’s name) may be published in part or full on the department’s website or in any public response by the Panel and/or the department. When publishing, the department will redact any personal contact details of the author.
Confidentiality
Confidential submissions will not be published and will only be disclosed in the following circumstances:
- in response to a request by a Commonwealth Minister;
- to the Review Panel for the purposes of informing the Panel in their review and preparation of the report of the Review on a confidential basis;
- where required by a House or a Committee of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia;
- where necessary in the public interest or
- where authorised or required by law.
Submissions will only be treated as confidential if they are expressly stated to be confidential. Automatically generated confidentiality statements or disclaimers appended to an email do not suffice for this purpose. If you wish you make a confidential submission, you must indicate this by ensuring your submission is clearly marked confidential. Even if a submission is not marked confidential, the department may choose not to publish it, or any part of it, in the department’s discretion (for example where it includes personal information or opinions about a third party).
Access
The department will securely store your personal information and the department’s privacy policy contains information regarding complaint handling processes and how to access and/or seek correction of personal information held by the department. Further information is available at Privacy | Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.