- Author NAJA Business Consulting, CRCNA
- Publish date 11 January 2021
- Type Report
- ISBN 978-1-922437-22-8
- Documents
- Agriculture
- Strategic policy development
- Supply chain development
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 northern Western Australia 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 northern Western Australia, 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.
Twenty-eight agricultural developments across the West and East Kimberley, Pilbara and Gascoyne were selected from a list provided by DPIRD, for case study summary reviews.
Five of the case studies were identified for further detailed analysis and augmented with findings from a further three case studies previously undertaken by NAJA.
Recommendations around the following themes have been proposed to facilitate pathways to sustainable (economic, environment, and social) development. These include:
- Targeted infrastructure to facilitate development
- Providing market development support based on industry needs and market analysis
- Enabling Aboriginal economic agricultural development
- Strategic de-risking in coordinated and targeted research
- Addressing regulatory barriers to agriculture development
- Developing de-risked agricultural land
- Developing a proactive case management framework
- Improving relationships and culture.
This report should be read in conjunction with the Summary Report, authored by the Government of Western Australia Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, available below.
Projects
Prioritising, de-risking and brokering agricultural development in Western Australia
Northern Western Australia has significant opportunities to expand agricultural and aquaculture production, building on its extensive land resources, emerging irrigation opportunities and growing demand for high-quality food products. However, development proposals often face challenges associated with land tenure, Native Title, infrastructure, regulatory approvals, investment risk and stakeholder coordination. This project examined the barriers and opportunities affecting agricultural and aquacultural development across the Kimberley, Pilbara and Gascoyne regions. Delivered in partnership with the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), the project reviewed existing development processes, analysed case studies and engaged extensively with government agencies, industry, Traditional Owners, Aboriginal organisations and investors to identify practical ways to improve development outcomes. The research found that while northern Western Australia offers substantial development potential, investors and proponents can face significant uncertainty arising from complex approval pathways, fragmented processes and challenges in building trusted relationships between stakeholders. The project highlighted the importance of balancing economic development with environmental stewardship, Indigenous participation and community expectations. Through analysis of 28 agricultural developments and detailed case studies, the project identified opportunities to streamline investment facilitation, improve coordination across government agencies and strengthen approaches to agricultural planning and project assessment. Recommendations included enhancing case management and investment facilitation services, improving access to information and infrastructure planning, supporting Aboriginal economic development and fostering stronger collaboration between government, industry and Traditional Owners. The project provides a practical framework for supporting sustainable agricultural growth in northern Western Australia. Its findings help inform future policy and investment approaches that can reduce development risk, improve investor confidence and unlock new opportunities while delivering economic, environmental and social benefits for regional communities.