Katherine’s new gin delivers a $100m dividend to region, NT cotton pioneer says

The Territory’s new cotton gin has had an immediate impact on a key regional economy, with production across its first season reaching 1000 bales per shift. Read what else it’s brought to the Big Rivers region.

The Northern Territory’s new cotton gin has delivered more than 30 jobs and close to a $100m bounty to the Katherine region since its official opening last December.

The Territory’s first operational cotton gin since the 1920s serviced 15 farms in two jurisdictions, with its actual cotton production totalling $40m for the season.

Ginning commenced at the WANT (Western Australia-Northern Territory) cotton gin in July and finished last week, with the final shipment from Western Australia concluding the $70m Katherine plant’s first harvest season.

Inside the $70m WANT cotton gin in Katherine. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

The gin produced 55,994 cotton bales this year, with estimates it could process up to 100,000 bails in coming years as northern Australian cotton production increases.

Before it opened, Territory and WA-grown cotton was shipped thousands of kilometres to Dalby and St George in Queensland.

A new gin under construction in Kununurra is about 75 per cent complete.

Pioneering NT cotton grower David Connolly from Tipperary Group said the value to Katherine region was up to $100m when direct and indirect economic benefits were considered.

“The season was in line or better than expectations,” Mr Connolly said.

“It was a brand new gin and brand new machinery and we expected it would perform well, and within weeks we were producing 1000 bales per 12-hour shift.

NT cotton pioneer David Connolly from the Tipperary Group.

“We’re also happy to report that even with the development that has occurred for cotton in the Territory, the rivers are still flowing the barra are still biting, the birds are still singing and the environment is as healthy as ever.

“I’m proud to say we did what we said we would all along; that is, we’ve grown the Territory economy, we’ve created new jobs in the regions and looked after the envrironment all at the same time.

Territory cotton under harvest earlier this year.

“These are the opportunities that are here in the Territory, if you can cut through all of the noise and interventions of activists who don’t deliver one dollar to the Northern Territory economy.

“There’s a bright future here for us all if we can just focus on getting the job done.”

Mr Connolly’s comments came as a letter emerged from key NT agricultural stakeholders criticising the ABC’s coverage of NT agricultural and pastoral issues.

The letter, sent to the ABC’s Media Watch program, identified numerous alleged errors contained in an episode of the network’s flagship Four Corners program entitled Water Grab, which aired on the public broadcaster in August.

Allegations contained in the letter included that Four Corners ignored CSIRO and other briefings that minimised allegations made by so-called experts; that the ABC is running the Environment Centre NT’s anti-economic development agenda; and that it bolstered the green-themed political campaign of Katherine independent candidate Dr Sam Phelan.

The ABC has been contacted for comment.

Originally published as Katherine’s new gin delivers a $100m dividend to region, NT cotton pioneer says