Lots of interesting, detailed thinking in the submissions to NT Rebound. For people outside the Territory, it's our post-crisis economic recovery plan.

The short version: gas is a huge waste of public money. And the jobs are elsewhere. Here's a thread. #NTpol
Regional Development Australia NT:
- "four of the five industries identified as focus areas by the Reconstruction Commission are among the least impacted by COVID-19"
- Need to help the sectors actually hit worst by COVID: tourism, arts, transport, admin, manufacturing & others
RDA NT cont:
- Regions need different support
- Future prosperity includes renewables, disability, research, aquaculture, telecomms, solar PV waste processing (!), tourism, arts

My take: NT mustn't fall into fed govt trap of thinking jobs only = blokes in mining / construction.
. @WWF_Australia:
- Very positive on: NT announcements on batteries, hydrogen; remote solar, renewable energy zones w HVDC in first Reconstruction Report
- @EY_Australia: renewable recovery would 'boost local manufacturing, increase exports, reskill workforce, reduce pollution'
. @WWF_Australia cont:
- Major potential: remote community solar, battery manufacturing inc mining, renewable energy upgrades for industry, renewable hydrogen exports
- 3x as many jobs in renewable recovery as in fossil recovery
- New gas projects risky, likely stranded assets
Speaking of which, @TheAusInstitute: recovery fiscal "policies should ‘go early, go hard, go households’ ... target activities with high employment intensity, industries that are most impacted by the crisis and projects that deliver co-benefits to other parts of the community."
"Based on these principles, among the last priorities for policy makers would be assistance to the oil and gas industry." Why?
- Capital intensive
- Employs very few people
- Takes years to develop projects
- "the overall commercial viability of an onshore industry is unlikely."
. @TheAusInstitute reports set out:
- Fracking won't help NT manufacturing
- NT Gov has spent nearly $100m on oil/gas subsidies in the last decade + billions in guarantees from P&Water
- There's no way the NT can 'offset' the climate damage from fracking for gas.
Then there's my part of the world! Gamba Grass Roots, @AridLandsEC, @EnviroCentreNT.

All point out: major jobs & community benefits in nature restoration. The kind of jobs that can be rolled out quickly & in low seasons like the Wet - especially gamba control to prevent fires.
ECNT & ALEC submissions both worth reading in close detail. Housing, climate justice, safe drinking water, heatwaves & emergency management. Richer lives for all Territorians - and buckets of jobs - from investing in people & nature.
I love (& contributed to) ECNT section on delivering good jobs through Councils. Green Army, streetlights & road surface retrofits, home energy & water upgrades, solar bulk buys like @CityofDarebin, help for visa holders like @cityofmelbourne, participatory budgeting, EUAs...
. @EDO_NT also sounds a crucial warning: economic recovery can't be an excuse to slash environmental and social protections in NT laws. Big businesses love a crisis - this isn't the time to let them write loopholes into the rules.

Also - mine rehab - so many jobs. Great points.
. @NTShelterInc:
- NT had worst homelessness rate in the country even before COVID, 12x national average
- Almost half the people looking for help don't get it
- NT can: build housing, provide land to community housing providers
- Financing a build program easy with Cwlth bonds.
. @NaomiAKlein makes it clear: existing powerful interests always try to use crises to get richer. The uneconomic gas industry is begging the NT for public money right now. (The luxury yacht builders also have a submission. Still better than gas: at least someone gets a fun boat.)
There are plenty of shovel-ready projects that would deliver more jobs for Territorians, at lower cost, with far more benefits for our land sea sky and people. These submissions demonstrate that clearly.

Looking forward to the next steps in building this recovery - without gas.
You can follow @jlwykidd.
Tip: mention @twtextapp on a Twitter thread with the keyword “unroll” to get a link to it.

Latest Threads Unrolled: