The future of Northern Australia
Northern Australia offers a unique combination of opportunities for Australia’s future. The pursuit of these opportunities has been the subject of widespread debate over many decades.
While there is great potential in northern Australia, all opportunities come with a range of risks and challenges. Realising national ambitions for progress in the north has historically been a difficult task. This is because northern Australia has too often been the recipient of hastily conceived, one-off strategies that, while positive in isolation, add up to little significant change for northern communities.
In this environment, the challenge is to bring some new sophistication and focus to the discussion about the future development of northern Australia. The work of the Joint Select Committee on Northern Australia along with the development of a Northern Australia White Paper, provides a platform for this vital progress to be made. It also provides an opportunity for the wide ranging voices of northern Australia to be heard and contribute to the policy decisions that will shape their future. This is essential if we are to find a lasting vision and strategy for development.
Read the RAI’s submission to the Joint Select Committee on Northern Australia
