Article by Camden Smith, courtesy of Townsville Bulletin
01.09.2025
A proposal to introduce a special economic zone in the Northern Territory to promote economic investment and jobs appears to have been killed-off by Canberra within minutes of conception.
The plan was raised at NT News’ Bush Summit on Monday at Darwin Convention Centre by economist and north Australian authority Imants Kins.
The Citech chairman and prominent economist put the onus on Canberra to establish an SEZ in the Territory.
“Introduction of a special economic zone across all the Northern Territory is required to crystallise the many opportunities in the Northern Territory,” Mr Kins, co-chair of Australians for Northern Development and Economic Vision told about 200 Bush Summit guests.
“There are many opportunities here but if you look at what’s happening in the rest of the world, 75 per cent of countries have special economic zones.
“We need a differentiated tax system, streamlined regulatory system and a one-stop shop where investors can come.
“We have this problem about changing the tax system to generate growth in an area like the Northern Territory. We need the framework to allow the private sector to create the jobs and create income.
“What happens is that there’s more taxation for government when we’ve generated more investment, more growth and more jobs. Investment today is production, consumption and jobs tomorrow.
“The Northern Territory has the potential to lead the rest of Australia in terms of developing special economic zones.”
A special economic zone is a geographically designated area within a country in which more favourable economic regulations and incentives are applied.
Mr Kins’ suggestion was adopted as part of the Bush Summit final communique but Canberra’s representative at the event, Solomon MP Luke Gosling, appeared to pour cold water over the concept despite acknowledging he was a supporter of a special economic zone in the Territory.
“I was talking to my good friend Kevin Rudd about it the other day, because you’ll remember when I first ran for the seat of Solomon that he flew in and announced that we would do something like that,” Mr Gosling said.
“Over a number of years I revisited this issue with first Chris Bowen, who was shadow treasurer, and these days Jim (Chalmers).
“I don’t know how happy he would be having investment drawn away from Queensland. I’m sure he’s got a national perspective.”
Mr Gosling’s early dismissal of a key Bush Summit proposal reinforced much of the messaging from the event, which called for the Commonwealth to lift its game in terms of infrastructure delivery to the Territory.
Mr Gosling and CLP Senator Jacinta Price were the only two NT federal politicians who attended the event.
Senator Price repeated the coalition’s call for a review of the NT Land Rights Act and domestic weapons production, describing it as a “national imperative, not a choice”.
Noting that 70 per cent of NT roads were unsealed, Cattlemen Association NT’s chief executive Romy Carey called for a commitment from Canberra to improved road funding.
“We need the federal government to sit at the table with the NT Government and say what have we got to do to get these roads sealed? We have roads where freight won’t travel and that’s not good enough for people who live on remote communities.”
Six key points emerged from Bush Summit, with the communique calling for better Commonwealth support for sealing NT roads; better infrastructure for industry and remote communities; a special economic zone; better infrastructure to get gas to east coast markets; better air connectivity to promote tourism and more investment in workforce develpment and skills.
A brainchild of Hancock Prospecting Group chief executive Gina Rinehart former NT chief minister Adam Giles, who heads Hancock Agriculture and S Kidman & Co, delivered a speech on his boss’ behalf calling for less government regulation.
She said when the GST was implemented in 2000, the states pledged to repeal a number of local charges including payroll tax, license fees and stamp duties.
“Where is the state that has dropped payroll tax, licence fees and stamp tax?,” she asked “Taxes that were meant to drop two decades ago when GST came in.”
She also called for the repeal of fuel excise and approvals for pensioners and veterans to work more.
“Families, pensioners and others on low incomes are being forced to choose between heating, food and medicines, while politicians and bureaucrats disgracefully ignore the cruelty to millions of Aussies, from pensioners to veterans, to students, to the disabled, not letting them work more than a few cappuccinos a week.”
