The launch of three rockets into space from north-east Arnhem Land sparked hopes for a new local space industry. But more than two years on, the company which runs the base has shut up shop and moved to Queensland, sending shockwaves through the NT business community.
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00:003, 2, 1.
00:07It was meant to launch remote Nullenbuoy into its space age, but on Monday, Equatorial Launch
00:12Australia downed tools.
00:14If we make business too hard to do in the Territory, it'll find somewhere else to do
00:18it, and this is another example of that that's happened in the recent days.
00:23It took ELA five years to go from start-up to launching three NASA rockets into orbit
00:28in 2022.
00:31Just days ago, it received environmental approval for a major expansion.
00:35With Rio Tinto withdrawing from its local mining operation, some traditional owners
00:40hoped the base would fill the gap and bring more jobs and income into the region.
00:45ELA says the Northern Land Council delayed the project by failing to sign off on the
00:51lease.
00:52The NLC disputes that and defended its efforts to comply with NT regulation.
00:57Our people will not be pushed into cutting corners for outside business timelines, nor
01:02can we jeopardise cultural obligations, our country, or the hard-won land rights of our
01:07people.
01:08The NLC has worked hard to keep this moving and communicate with them many times through
01:13what is a complicated but really important process.
01:17ELA is now proposing to move its operations to a site near Weepa in far north Queensland,
01:23and is currently in talks with the Queensland Government.
01:26It'll be interesting to know what their financial position is and what incentives or what other
01:35factors change their mind to move, to really make that decision to move to Queensland.
01:41The Territory Government has a 5% stake in ELA and is now considering its legal options.
01:47But no government minister was available for an interview today.
01:51The ABC also reached out to ELA for an interview regarding its decision, but received no response.
01:58The government's newly appointed Interim Territory Coordinator will travel to Noolanbuy this
02:02month to discuss other opportunities for economic development.