20 May 2014
ABC News
A federal inquiry into developing Northern Australia turns its focus to the Northern Territory this week, with major industries set to provide information about the Territory’s opportunities and barriers.
The Joint Select Committee on Northern Australia will spend the week holding public hearings and undertake inspections in Darwin, Katherine, Nhulunbuy, Alice Springs and Borroloola.
The committee’s visit starts at Alice Springs today with tourism, pastoral and Indigenous industries likely to be on high on the agenda.
NT Primary Industry Minister Willem Westra Van Holthe says he hopes the inquiry decides the Territory should be the leader of developing the north.
“[I hope] because of our very important strategic location up here, that we will be considered the place where the Northern Australia development focus will be,” he said.
Mr Westra Van Holthe says the inquiry has collected submissions from industry groups and stakeholders from across the Top End.
“I’m certainly very hopeful this committee will provide some real outcomes for the Northern Territory,” he said.
“We realise up here in the north we are the gateway to Asia strategically.
“We are very important between the southern states and our trading partners in Asia and it’s great to see rubber hitting the road in the form of this committee.”
Information gathered by the committee will be used to put together a white paper set to be released later this year.
Courtesy of ABC News