‘Opening up’ the north’s economic potential will boost cargo volumes
Cargo Archive Stories issue 232
Monday, 01 September 2014
Planning led by the federal government to develop northern Australia could lift air cargo volumes through Darwin, Cairns, Townsville and smaller northern airports in WA, the NT and Queensland.
Well-meant intentions to ‘open up’ northern Australia as a region have been around for well over a century now, delivering a mixed bag of success, failure and sometimes a sort of open-ended delay.
The current project has the advantage of balancing very high-level state/territory participation with a strong federal commitment spurred by 2013 election promises.
And rather than focus on long-term vague intentions, the project partners have taken a multi-level approach which has seen the drafting of a ‘green paper’ followed by the appointment of an impressive Northern Australia Advisory Group that will oversee submissions and consider them, leading eventually to a ‘white paper’ for formal action.
All stakeholders will have plenty of opportunity for input.
That includes the transport sector, its involvement bolstered by the key role being played in the development plans by deputy pm Warren Truss, whose portfolios include Infrastructure and Regional Development.
He has been talking up the project enthusiastically, describing it as a government priority.
“Further growth and investment will, of course, have direct benefits across northern Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia, but that prosperity will spread to all Australians. “Farmers and business developers in southern parts of the country will be eyeing the opportunities in the north to expand and diversify their interests.
“This has been part of our plan to put regional Australia at the heart of a national economic recovery.”
Truss says that the project partners want to develop a food bowl with some emphasis on premium product, build an energy export industry worth A$150 billion, boost resource exports from the north and grow the region’s tourist economy.
All these goals will have an impact on intra-region air cargo and on international traffic.
“It’s a vision that is achievable and embraces the north’s strengths and natural advantages in agriculture, cattle production, energy generation and tourism growth,” Truss points out, as well as boosting education and health services.
“The green paper reminds us that northern Australia is vital to our national economy, with 55 per cent of exports shipped through northern ports and agricultural production in the north worth over A$5 billion.
“The north enjoys geographic advantages from its proximity to burgeoning Asia economies and many natural assets that attract visitors from all over the world.
“But it is widely accepted that there is more to be done to realise its full economic potential.”
The advisory group will report to a ‘strategic partnership’ comprising Truss, the prime minister, the premiers of WA and Queensland and the current chief minister of the NT.
It will be chaired by an former chief minister, Shane Stone, who also has a very strong track record in commercial governance, including in the Australian and international resource sector.
Other group members are Wayne Bergmann, Jack Burton, Ken Chapman, Sandra Harding, Noeline Ikin, David Menzel, Nicholas Paspaley, Trent Twomey, Ken Warriner and Djawa Yunupingu. All have had extensive involvement in the region’s issues, including transport.
‘Opening up’ the north’s economic potential will boost cargo volumes
Cargo Archive Stories issue 232
Monday, 01 September 2014
Planning led by the federal government to develop northern Australia could lift air cargo volumes through Darwin, Cairns, Townsville and smaller northern airports in WA, the NT and Queensland.
Well-meant intentions to ‘open up’ northern Australia as a region have been around for well over a century now, delivering a mixed bag of success, failure and sometimes a sort of open-ended delay.
The current project has the advantage of balancing very high-level state/territory participation with a strong federal commitment spurred by 2013 election promises.
And rather than focus on long-term vague intentions, the project partners have taken a multi-level approach which has seen the drafting of a ‘green paper’ followed by the appointment of an impressive Northern Australia Advisory Group that will oversee submissions and consider them, leading eventually to a ‘white paper’ for formal action.
All stakeholders will have plenty of opportunity for input.
That includes the transport sector, its involvement bolstered by the key role being played in the development plans by deputy pm Warren Truss, whose portfolios include Infrastructure and Regional Development.
He has been talking up the project enthusiastically, describing it as a government priority.
“Further growth and investment will, of course, have direct benefits across northern Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia, but that prosperity will spread to all Australians. “Farmers and business developers in southern parts of the country will be eyeing the opportunities in the north to expand and diversify their interests.
“This has been part of our plan to put regional Australia at the heart of a national economic recovery.”
Truss says that the project partners want to develop a food bowl with some emphasis on premium product, build an energy export industry worth A$150 billion, boost resource exports from the north and grow the region’s tourist economy.
All these goals will have an impact on intra-region air cargo and on international traffic.
“It’s a vision that is achievable and embraces the north’s strengths and natural advantages in agriculture, cattle production, energy generation and tourism growth,” Truss points out, as well as boosting education and health services.
“The green paper reminds us that northern Australia is vital to our national economy, with 55 per cent of exports shipped through northern ports and agricultural production in the north worth over A$5 billion.
“The north enjoys geographic advantages from its proximity to burgeoning Asia economies and many natural assets that attract visitors from all over the world.
“But it is widely accepted that there is more to be done to realise its full economic potential.”
The advisory group will report to a ‘strategic partnership’ comprising Truss, the prime minister, the premiers of WA and Queensland and the current chief minister of the NT.
It will be chaired by an former chief minister, Shane Stone, who also has a very strong track record in commercial governance, including in the Australian and international resource sector.
Other group members are Wayne Bergmann, Jack Burton, Ken Chapman, Sandra Harding, Noeline Ikin, David Menzel, Nicholas Paspaley, Trent Twomey, Ken Warriner and Djawa Yunupingu. All have had extensive involvement in the region’s issues, including transport.
