Summary

NAJA Business Consulting was engaged by the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA) to undertake a study into de-risking, brokering and prioritising agricultural and aquacultural development in the Northern Territory as part of a wider collaboration between the CRCNA and the Northern Territory (NT), Queensland (QLD) and Western Australian (WA) governments to support the development of new agricultural activity across Northern Australia.

This report explores constraints identified that inhibit agricultural development in the Northern Territory, reflecting upon:

• Complex land tenure arrangements
• Limited understanding of water availability and soil suitability
• Secure water rights and water infrastructure
• Transport and communications infrastructure
• Supportive regulatory environment
• Supportive investment environment

Recommendations around the following themes have been proposed to facilitate pathways to sustainable (economic, environment, and social) development. These include:

• Developing an efficient approach to converting parts of pastoral leases to freehold
• De-risked agricultural precincts that provide certainty for investors
• Enabling aboriginal agricultural development
• Targeting infrastructure to facilitate development
• Providing a supportive regulatory environment
• Strategic de-risking in coordinated and targeted research
• Improving trust, relationships and culture