Acting Chief Minister Nicole Manison defends NT cotton farming

Cotton is being grown in the NT to create jobs and grow the economy but southern opponents are lining up to shoot it down. Here’s why the government is standing by the industry.

Southern senators, including one who led a campaign to give Territory governments more rights, want curbs on land clearing in the Northern Territory.

Despite less than 1 per cent of native vegetation in the Northern Territory having been cleared, ACT Independent Senator David Pocock and South Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young want tight controls on future land clearing.

Their comments followed claims of unauthorised land clearing around Katherine for cotton farming.

Environment Centre NT, Territory Rivers and The Australia Institute have been leading a campaign against Territory cotton farming which focused initially on water issues but more recently has shifted to land clearing.

Mining and Industry Minister Nicole Manison says the minerals sector news is a sign of confidence as Territorians work to achieve a $40b economy by 2023. Picture: Floss Adams.

In February 2021 ECNT issued the results of polling that showed almost 70 per cent of Territorians opposed cotton farming in the Territory “until they fix up their mess in the Murray-Darling Basin”.

The approximately dozen cotton farmers in the NT rely almost exclusively on rainwater and have minimal impact on the Territory’s waterways.

The push by southern politicians to stop land-clearing and, by default, the Territory’s cotton industry drew a furious response from Acting Chief Minister Nicole Manison.

“There is a movement in this country that are just completely anti-cotton and it is not rational,” Ms Mansion said.

“When you actually look at the science of it here in the Northern Territory of what modern cotton actually is and the opportunities it presents.

“More to the fact this is a crop we actually need so you do get frustrated with the level of campaigning … that’s pedalled about it, particularly from people from down south who really have no clue what’s going on in the Territory.

Farmers at Tipperary Station harvest cotton in the NT for the first time in 15 years. Picture: Andrew Philip

“I think it’s important for people to recognise less than 1 per cent of native vegetation is cleared in the Northern Territory.

“We have over 1.3 million square kilometres of land and this is a place where we need to grow the economy, and the only way to do that is by diversifying it, bringing in new industry and cotton presents such an exciting opportunity.

“I get really frustrated with some of the attitudes towards the cotton industry, particularly when it is compared to the Murray-Darling.

“You look at modern cotton today and what is happening in the Northern Territory. We’re talking about rain-fed cotton mostly, it doesn’t use the levels of pesticides and treatments that old cotton used to use.

“There wouldn’t be any of us here who would not be using cotton in their every day life. This is going to be good for the Northern Territory. This is a new and emerging industry here in the Northern Territory and it is regulated.

“There are checks and balances in the system and we’re going to be making sure we continue to work with those that are growing cotton to make sure they are meeting their obligations and they are doing it properly.”

Senator Hanson Young wrote to Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek urging her to establish an inquiry into land clearing on the strength of allegations of unauthorised land clearing on Territory cattle stations for cotton farming.

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA – DECEMBER 1: Senator David Pocock in the senate at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Senator Pocock weighed in, saying laws were required that “ensure that we’re protecting this incredible continent and getting the right balance by using available land for agriculture, but not continuing to clear land unnecessarily”.

“Back in 2001 Labor, who were then in opposition, proposed having a land-clearing trigger in our environmental laws, so we’ve known about this for a couple of decades now,” he said.

“It is finally time to act and to better look after the places that we live.”

In December, Senator Pocock led a campaign for the Northern Territory and ACT to overturn legislation passed by the Howard government in 1997 that vetoed the rights of the territories to introduce voluntary assisted dying legislation.

The Bill overturned laws passed by Marshall Perron’s Country Liberal Party government in 1995 which made the Territory the first jurisdiction in the world to legislate voluntary assisted dying.

The Territory government is investigating alleged compliance issues around land clearing at Tarwoo Station and Claravale Farm.