APA today announces the registration of an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) with Traditional Owners for the Sturt Plateau Pipeline (SPP) in the Northern Territory.

Facilitated by the Northern Land Council (NLC), in accordance with its statutory functions, this milestone closes out the necessary Traditional Owner consents required to move forward with the project, complementing the separate and existing agreement in place between Traditional Owners and APA’s customer for the SPP, Tamboran Resources.
 
APA’s ILUA establishes a clear framework for engagement with Traditional Owners as APA progresses the SPP, setting out arrangements addressing social, economic, and environmental considerations and ensuring structured and ongoing collaboration with relevant Traditional Owners throughout the life of the project.
 
APA CEO and Managing Director Adam Watson said the agreement underlines APA’s ongoing commitment to strong engagement with Traditional Owners as it progresses the SPP project.
 
"The Sturt Plateau Pipeline is the crucial first-stage link to enable Beetaloo gas to reach power generation assets that keep the lights on across the Northern Territory and this agreement provides the required consent from Traditional Owners to progress this important project.
 
“The registration of this ILUA provides a strong foundation for the Sturt Plateau Pipeline to proceed in close partnership with Traditional Owners, ensuring the project is delivered safely and responsibly. This is a critical milestone as we work to maintain positive and lasting relationships with Traditional Owners and builds on the agreement already in place with APA’s customer."
 
The SPP is a 37-kilometre pipeline that will connect Tamboran’s Shenandoah South Pilot Project in the Beetaloo Basin to APA’s Amadeus Gas Pipeline (AGP). The new infrastructure will ensure Beetaloo gas is available to support power generation in the Northern Territory from 2026.
 
The project has received a pipeline licence from the Northern Territory Government. Construction is scheduled to commence September 2025, with the estimated ~$66.5 million project to be completed in early 2026.
 
APA will continue to engage closely with Traditional Owners, landholders, and other stakeholders as the project advances.