Mr WOOD - 2011-02-23
You helped launch the NT Agribusiness Industry Strategy last week. That document mentions the availability of additional land for agriculture has been identified as a restraint to growth, and it also mentions that the NT government’s commitment is to identify suitable land for sustainable agribusiness. You know that the banana industry has nearly been wiped out because of Panama Disease. Do you support the application by one of the largest known banana growing companies to purchase the last available horticultural block at Lambells Lagoon so that this land could be developed to extend the life of the industry by rotating banana crops?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his very important question. It is true that we have a large demand for land for increased agriculture and horticulture in the Northern Territory, to the effect that I commissioned a report by the CDU to assess expansion of agricultural land by looking at the Keep River plain in Western Australia, and also Katherine. The future of agriculture in the Territory relies on the availability of land. Unfortunately, in certain areas, especially Darwin, we have demand for land for competing purposes. We assess every demand on how the land is going to be utilised. Is it clever to have a land bank for 10 years and then sell that land at a huge profit to someone, or to develop land now that will provide jobs and growth in the industry? My priority is to make land available to industry to provide jobs and growth to the industry. I have discussions all the time with my colleague, the minister for Lands, because there is demand for competing purposes and we have to find the right solution to this problem.
I support the availability of land for expansion. I spoke to the people and I encouraged them to put in a formal submission to the government for the land they want to acquire from us. That will be assessed by me and .my colleague, the minister for Lands.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his very important question. It is true that we have a large demand for land for increased agriculture and horticulture in the Northern Territory, to the effect that I commissioned a report by the CDU to assess expansion of agricultural land by looking at the Keep River plain in Western Australia, and also Katherine. The future of agriculture in the Territory relies on the availability of land. Unfortunately, in certain areas, especially Darwin, we have demand for land for competing purposes. We assess every demand on how the land is going to be utilised. Is it clever to have a land bank for 10 years and then sell that land at a huge profit to someone, or to develop land now that will provide jobs and growth in the industry? My priority is to make land available to industry to provide jobs and growth to the industry. I have discussions all the time with my colleague, the minister for Lands, because there is demand for competing purposes and we have to find the right solution to this problem.
I support the availability of land for expansion. I spoke to the people and I encouraged them to put in a formal submission to the government for the land they want to acquire from us. That will be assessed by me and .my colleague, the minister for Lands.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016