The Prime Minister launched the long awaited vision for northern Australia in Canberra on 18 June, laying out ambitious policy ideas for the next 20 years.

The development blueprint includes new roads, studies of possible dam sites and changes to land-use laws which are designed to make the north an “economic powerhouse”.

A $600 million roads package, money for upgrading airstrips and cash for exploring rail freight options addresses transport needs while the establishment of a $200 million water infrastructure fund will facilitate the study of river systems across the north to identify potential dam sites or other storage options.

The white paper also addresses the fact that land-use laws in the north have led to long delays and cost blowouts for some projects over the past decade and includes support for native title bodies along with new surveys to begin the process of simplifying land arrangements.

The Government also recently released a new investment pitch to some of the world’s largest companies and will be hosting a major forum in Darwin in November to promote the northern Australia region as a great place to invest billions of dollars of overseas cash.

In his statement, the Prime Minister said; “We will drive down the costs of operating in the north for business; making it a more attractive place to invest and work. By making the right regulations and infrastructure investments, we can encourage jobs and the tackle the costs of living far from major cities.”

MPs who were involved in the development of the white paper said that this was “just a deposit” with more policy measures to be put in place in the next few years.

The Queensland government, along with the Western Australia and Northern Territory governments will be expected to contribute to the cost of any new developments.

More information can be found in the media release from the Minister for Trade and Investment.