The oil and gas industry welcomed today's announcement by the South Australian Government to commence work on sealing the Strzelecki Track - a key transport corridor connecting the state's far north east.
Improving the 470-kilometre dirt road would help increase resources development, beef cattle production, tourism and road freight in the area between Lyndhurst and the Queensland and Northern Territory borders.
APPEA South Australia Director Matthew Doman said the Strzelecki was the key access route into the Cooper Basin, one of Australia's most significant onshore oil and gas provinces.
"For many decades, the Cooper has been Australia's most important source of onshore gas and is still the country's largest onshore oil producing region," Mr Doman said.
"Improving access to the Cooper and lower transport costs would improve the long-term economics of servicing the basin and support ongoing oil and gas production.
"Other important industries, including pastoralism, tourism, mining and interstate transport, would also benefit from better road access to and through north-eastern South Australia."
The SA Government announced it will provide $10 million to sealing the first 50 kilometres of the Track, and is seeking further support from the Federal Government and potential road users.
The Government's commitment comes after a 2017 report by state, federal and local government authorities found sealing the track would deliver a $1.4 billion boost to the SA economy over the next four decades.
APPEA also urged the Federal Government to support the project, which could generate significant economic activity as the recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 virus begins.
