Government’s looking to the north
2015-06-23The Australian Government yesterday released its White Paper on Developing Northern Australia: Our North, Our Future, the country’s first White Paper on developing northern Australia, describing it as “an essential part of our plan for a strong, prosperous economy and a safe, secure Australia”.
The paper sets out a long-term reform agenda up to 2035, delivering an initial investment of $1.2 billion (in addition to the $5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility).
Measures to unlock the north’s potential across six key areas include: simpler land arrangements to support investment; developing the north’s water resources; growing the north as a business, trade and investment gateway; investing in infrastructure to lower business and household costs; reducing barriers to employing people; and improving governance.
The government says it is supporting simpler and more secure land arrangements in the north, by investing:
$20.4 million to support native title bodies to realise their potential and negotiate more efficiently with business;
$17 million to support secure property rights for cadastral surveys, area mapping and township leases;
$10.6 million for pilot land tenure reforms to help fund ‘next steps’ for projects that demonstrate the benefits of tenure reform, particularly on pastoral leases.
It will also work with the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) to:
reduce native title costs and delays – the Government wants all existing native title claims settled in the next 10 years; and
allow Indigenous Australians to borrow against or lease out exclusive native title land.
A $200 million Water Infrastructure Development Fund is set to be established, which will provide up to $5 million for a feasibility analysis for the Nullinga Dam near Cairns, and up to $5 million for a detailed examination of land-use suitability for Ord Stage 3.
In order to help attract more investors to the north, the government plans to:
host a major northern investment forum in Darwin in late 2015 to bring together international investors, supported by the new investment prospectus: “Northern Australia emerging opportunities in an advanced economy”
set up a new $75 million Cooperative Research Centre on Developing Northern Australia;
invest $15.3 million to position the north as a global leader in tropical health;
provide $12.4 million for Indigenous Ranger groups to expand biosecurity surveillance;
help business enter new markets and supply chains by increasing access to the Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme and Industry Skills Fund.
The government also says it will focus on funding high priority infrastructure through a $5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility; a new $600 million roads package; and a $100 million beef roads fund, which will help improve cattle supply chains. Plans are also afoot to invest $5 million in rail freight analyses, starting with a pre-feasibility analyses of the Mount Isa to Tennant Creek railway and an upgrade of the Townsville to Mount Isa line.
The Northern Australia Strategic Partnership — the biannual gathering of First Ministers from the Commonwealth and northern jurisdictions — will also be made permanent.
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