- Author NAJA Business Consulting, CRCNA
- Publish date 2 November 2020
- Type Report
- ISBN 978-1-922437-51-8
- Documents
- Agriculture
- Aquaculture
- Beef
- Broadacre cropping
- Forestry
- Horticulture
- 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 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
Projects
Prioritising, de-risking and brokering agricultural development in the Northern Territory
The Northern Territory has substantial potential to expand agricultural and aquaculture production, supported by extensive land and water resources, proximity to Asian markets and opportunities for regional economic development. However, investment and development have often been constrained by complex approval processes, land tenure arrangements, infrastructure limitations and challenges associated with securing investment and building stakeholder confidence. This project investigated the key barriers affecting agricultural and aquaculture development across the Northern Territory and identified practical pathways to reduce investment risk and improve development outcomes. Delivered by NAJA Business Consulting Services in partnership with the CRCNA and Northern Territory Government, the project combined literature reviews, stakeholder interviews, workshops, surveys and detailed case studies to examine the factors influencing new agricultural investment. The research identified a range of common challenges, including complex land tenure and planning arrangements, uncertainty around water resources, regulatory and approval processes, Native Title considerations, logistics and infrastructure constraints and limited telecommunications services. Extensive consultation with industry, government, Aboriginal organisations and project proponents highlighted the need for more coordinated and efficient approaches to agricultural development. Through analysis of 31 potential development opportunities and detailed case studies spanning broadacre cropping, aquaculture, livestock and agricultural processing, the project developed recommendations to support sustainable growth. These included improving land and water planning, streamlining approval pathways, facilitating investment, strengthening infrastructure planning, supporting Indigenous agricultural development and building greater trust and collaboration between governments, industry and Traditional Owners. The project provides a framework for enabling future agricultural investment in the Northern Territory while balancing economic, environmental and social outcomes. Its findings continue to inform discussions around how governments, industry and communities can work together to unlock development opportunities, improve investor confidence and create long-term employment and economic benefits across northern Australia.