Morrison denies Northern Territory's extra $260m is for lifting fracking ban

The federal government has given the Northern Territory an extra $260m to compensate for its low GST share, a decision both governments have denied is linked to the territory’s decision to lift a moratorium on fracking.

 NT’s extra funding is not due to the decision to lift
the ban on fracking, Scott Morrison says. 

At a press conference on Monday the treasurer, Scott Morrison, said the Northern Territory would receive the extra funding from the commonwealth’s consolidated revenue, as well as an extra $550m over five years for remote Indigenous housing.

The Northern Territory’s GST share is set to fall from 4.66% of Australia’s total in 2017-18 to 4.26% in 2018-19 as a result of the recommendation of the Commonwealth Grant Commission – the independent body that carves up the GST pie.

Read Paul Karp’s story from The Guardian - “Morrison denies Northern Territory's extra $260m is for lifting fracking ban.”