Northern Territory

Download the Full Report Here

Northern Territory's 2010 Infrastructure Report has been released. To download the full report please click on the links below:

A Ratings Summary is available below.

Media Release

Territory's infrastructure needs major improvements

The release today of the Engineers Australia 2010 Northern Territory Infrastructure Report Card found that the Territory’s overall infrastructure requires major improvements, with only a small number of sectors being rated as good.

What is the Infrastructure Report Card Project?

The 2010 Infrastructure Report Cards Project is a major initiative of Engineers Australia which aims to advance the quality and provision of infrastructure across the nation, with subsequent benefits to Australia’s economy, communities and the environment. The project’s output consists of Report Cards for all Australian States and Territories.

For more information about how the Report Cards are developed, please view our Frequently Asked Questions 

Previous Reports
 		  
 

Ratings Summary

The table below show the ratings summary. To download this summary in PDF format please click here

Infrastructure Type Grade Comment
Roads overall
National Roads
Territory Roads
Local Roads
 

C
B
C-
D+

 These ratings recognise that there is considerable disparity between road types and between urban and non-urban areas and that major changes are required to
some of the Territory’s road network. National roads have improved, and while localised failures are increasing due to pavement aging, they are being addressed through ongoing intervention programs. The quality of the major Territory roads has slowly improved, but other Territory roads have declined due to increased traffic loads and lack of maintenance. Local road quality has deteriorated in many places outside urban areas, as road maintenance and resealing work have been postponed. There is a significant backlog of sealing/resealing work, and projects to provide all weather access on both Territory and local roads. While urban areas are well served by roads, most remote and some regional communities have roads that are less than adequate.
Rail C+ This rating recognises that the existing rail infrastructure is adequate for the current level of rail traffic. However, areas for improvement include the interface with the Port of Darwin and the track condition south of Alice Springs. A significant increase in bulk minerals traffic will require additional passing loops and improvements to the track to cope with the heavier bulk minerals trains.
Ports C+ This rating recognises that while there have been improvements at the Port of Darwin’s facilities, its East Arm Wharf facilities face challenges with regard to
maintenance, capacity, bulk materials handling and environmental issues. Barge landings and their supporting infrastructure are rudimentary and have not kept up with growing needs.
Airports B- This rating recognises that both Alice Springs and Darwin airport infrastructure is adequate for existing passenger and freight demand, and both have detailed expansion plans, although funding for developments is uncertain. The regional airports have limited infrastructure, which reflects their passenger numbers, and although airside infrastructure has generally improved, this has not been the case for land-side infrastructure. Some remote aerodromes are in very poor condition and some are unserviceable during the Wet Season. Given the scale of the problems and the limited resources of the NT Government and local governments, the prioritisation approach for upgrading remote aerodromes based on the community’s reliance on air travel is appropriate.
Potable Water C- This rating recognises that there have been significant infrastructure improvements to water supplies at a number of urban and remote communities, as well as the identification of water supply system deficiencies across the Territory. However, there are a few locations where water supplies do not meet microbiological water quality guidelines and many locations where they do not meet physical and chemical water quality guidelines.
Wastewater C- This rating recognises that raw sewage is still entering Darwin Harbour and localised problems arise from treated wastewater disposal in Darwin. However, the quality of underground wastewater infrastructure in urban areas across the Territory is generally good, as are most urban wastewater treatment facilities. Wastewater infrastructure in remote communities remains a challenge and is
becoming more of a problem as the remote population grows.
Stormwater B- This rating recognises that in new urban areas, stormwater systems are of a much higher quality, reflecting new design standards. There is a lack of condition information on stormwater assets in all urban areas, and in many areas, a gap is appearing between replacement funding and need. While the benefits of Water Sensitive Urban Design are recognised, there has been very limited application of this to date.
Irrigation Not rated  
Electricity C- This rating recognises that while there has been an improvement in generation capacity for the Darwin-Katherine region, concerns exist about the quality of
distribution infrastructure and its asset management. Advances have been made in increasing the capacity and security of electricity supply to Indigenous communities.
Gas A- This rating recognises that the gas transmission network remains in good condition and supply security has improved, with gas now being available from three sources.
Telecommunications C- This rating recognises that telecommunication services in urban areas are generally adequate. However, broadband blackspots still exist. While several backhaul projects have significantly improved telecommunication services for
some remote and regional communities, many non-urban communities do not have adequate telecommunication services. The lack of universal mobile phone services along highways remains a challenge.
Northern Territory's Results

 

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