One of the tourism powerhouses of the Northern Territory was mostly missing in action from the Brolga tourist awards on the weekend.
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Katherine walked away with all the major prizes but Kakadu was barely mentioned.
In one of the first stages of the almost $140 million revitalisation of Kakadu, the NT Government has invited innovative commercial proposals to build, own and operate a new power station in Jabiru.
Today Jabiru receives its electrical power courtesy of the diesel generators at Ranger's uranium mine which is being closed by Energy Resources of Australia.
This is stage one of a major procurement process, and is one of the flagship projects under the Future of Jabiru program.
The government wants at least half the power to be renewable.
"It also sets the tone for future Jabiru revitalisation projects, in meeting the Mirarr traditional owners' vision for Jabiru as a vibrant and sustainable National Park town at the heart of Kakadu National Park," the government said.
Department of the Chief Minister chief executive officer Jodie Ryan said: "The Government is committed to the future of Jabiru and supporting the town's transition to a vibrant regional services and tourism hub.
"The call for Expressions of Interest for a new power supply for Jabiru is part of the government's $135.5 million investment and provides certainty to local businesses, the community and the tourism industry.
"This is just one of the steps we are taking to restore Kakadu to its former glory as a world-class tourism destination."
Meanwhile, the Government's $5 million Rooftop Solar in Schools election commitment is continuing to roll out.
Announced in November last year, the program will be delivered to 25 schools over three years at a cost of $5 million and is anticipated to save selected schools up to 40 per cent of their energy costs.
This Program is part of the Government's Roadmap to Renewables Plan, which aims to transition to the Northern Territory to 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030.
Katherine High School is also part of the program.
Nightcliff Primary School is one Territory school which has completed their installation. Through the solar panels, Nightcliff Primary has updated their Science and Maths course to use data collected from the solar panels.
Schools are enhancing their STEM subjects and innovative educational programs, inspiring the Territory's next generation of engineers and scientists in advanced renewable energy solutions.
So far this project has supported more than 40 local construction jobs.
The Rooftop Solar in Schools program will be delivered to schools in every Territory region, including remote schools, with sites selected on the basis of their energy usage or their innovative science programs.
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