A re-elected Coalition government would hand up to $130 million to gas giants in the Northern Territory to invest in carbon capture and storage, as part of a $300 million energy industry funding promise.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison travelled to the Northern Territory on Sunday to spruik the commitment, first revealed in the federal budget.
He is also unveiling a $14 million allocation for crime-fighting in Alice Springs.
The $300 million Northern Territory energy spend would see up to $70 million for a new hydrogen industrial hub outside Darwin to support hydrogen production for export and domestic use.
More than a third of the promised funding, up to $130 million, would be given to gas giants Inpex, Santos and Darwin LNG to construct a new carbon capture and storage hub and assess other options for carbon storage.
Mr Morrison said the funding was part of a $2.6 billion commitment to boost the territory’s export capabilities.
"We want to harness the territory's position as a world leader in energy and turbocharge it, unlocking investment and generating more jobs," Mr Morrison said.
The Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction, Angus Taylor, said the funding would give local gas producers a bigger competitive advantage internationally.
"Global demand for LNG is poised to grow in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the territory will benefit from another jobs boom as production decarbonises and new fields like the Beetaloo are opened up," Mr Taylor said.
The funding, which is conditional on the demonstration of value for money, also includes $96 million for future clean energy projects in the Northern Territory.
Alice Springs crime an election focus
The Prime Minister has also promised $14 million to support training activities, community patrols and mental health services in Alice Springs in an attempt to reduce crime in the Central Australian town.
Earlier this year, the Alice Springs Mayor wrote to national leaders, calling for more action to address what he labelled a crime "crisis" in the town.
Mr Morrison said during his February visit he had been "taken to task" over the issues in Alice Springs and what the Commonwealth was going to do about it.
"House break-ins [in Alice Springs] are up 46 per cent in the past year," he said.
"Commercial break-ins, cafes, restaurants, newsagencies, all of this up 60 per cent and assaults up 6 per cent as well.
"This is a longstanding challenge, and it will continue to be, but I believe the $14 million we're investing directly here can make a big difference to this."
The funding promise would see a new adult mental health service, more CCTV units across the town and $4 million dollars to expand night patrols run by the Tangentyere Council and Alice Springs Council.
Mr Morrison said the investment was targeted at the "causes not the symptoms" of crime.
"We are backing in a community-led response to the challenges in Alice Springs, with more night patrols, youth training and early intervention, a new youth-focused area of the library, mental health services and more CCTV," Mr Morrison said.
Labor pledges investment in First Nations health
Senator Penny Wong was also in Alice Springs on Sunday, pledging that if elected, Labor would train an additional 500 Indigenous health workers to tackle high rates of dialysis and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in First Nations people.
"The gap in First Nations health is profound," she said.
Labor said it would also spend $15 million to improve water supply in remote communities, deliver 30 new dialysis units and spend a total of $12 million to prevent and treat RHD.
It is not clear how much will be directly invested in the Northern Territory.
Shadow Minister for Health Mark Butler said Labor did not have "the locations in mind" for where the 30 units would be built, but they would work with state and territory governments to identify priority areas.
Senator Wong also said there "hadn't been enough investment in remote housing in the Northern Territory", and Labor "would have more to say about this" ahead of the election.
She also spoke out about "China's increased assertiveness", telling reporters Labor would "not have leased the Port of Darwin".
In a media release circulated Sunday afternoon, Labor said it would also provide $14 million to prevent crime in Alice Springs, including training and support programs, CCTV and community patrols.
