One of the NT’s biggest farmers has withdrawn a land clearance permit

One of the NT’s largest landowners has withdrawn a land clearance application. Read what it means.

The Territory’s cattle industry has declared it is happy for the NT’s land clearing powers to be tested in court because of their confidence in the government’s regulatory rules.

The comments come after one of the Territory’s largest cattle stations withdrew an application to clear about 900 hectares on the million-hectare property.

Vietnamese company Clean Agriculture and International Tourism, owners of Auvergne Station near Katherine, requested the land clearing application be revoked last month.

“Given the considerable challenges with development in the Northern Territory, CAIT are currently reviewing their investment strategies,” an Auvergne station spokesman said.

In November 2022 the NT’s Pastoral Review Board approved CAIT’s application to clear 923ha at Auvergne to grow cotton and fodder.

NT Cattlemen's Association president David Connolly.

In February the Environment Centre NT, represented by Environmental Justice Australia, launched Supreme Court action against the NT government over the land-clearing approval.

ECNT last week said it would withdraw the action

Northern Land Council also began legal proceedings in February to challenge the land clearing decision and has signalled it will continue with the legal action.

NT Cattlemen’s Association president David Connolly said the industry welcomed the opportunity to test the government’s land clearing regimen in court.

“The NTCA is fully supportive of having land clearing legislation tested in the courts as we believe the existing framework provides a robust process for industry to operate in – and that the court will uphold that,” Mr Connolly said.

Cotton is re-emerging as an NT crop. Picture: Andrew Philip

“Clearly ECNT and EJA thought so as well, which is why they were desperate for the proponents to sign a cost indemnity agreement with them before proceeding further with the case. The decision to withdraw the permit was made in consideration of Federal Government intervention and had nothing to do with the action brought against the proponent by ECNT.”

Mr Connolly said the proposed development at Auvergne represented just 0.2 per cent of the property, a tiny addition to a million-hectare property.

“Auvergne is a more than 1-million-acre station that has never undertaken any significant land clearing activities. This permit covered 0.2 per cent of the land area of the property and was focused on their desire to become more drought resilient and to assist in growing the Territory economy and improving employment opportunities in remote areas.

Kirsty Howey from the Environment Centre NT talks about conflicts of interest in the NT's water licencing regime. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“It’s important that people understand when things like this happen in the regions, it is the entirety of the Territory that loses jobs and misses out. Projects like these present real opportunities for everyone, including indigenous people in remote communities. Losing them means that everyone loses, not just us.”

“The proponents have a good relationship with traditional owners in the area and will continue discussions with them regarding other opportunities for development in the region.

“Strangely, in discussions to date, ECNT have not been mentioned once.”

ECNT executive director Kirsty Howey said the government’s plans to “radically change” pastoral land rights was outlined in an Agribusiness Strategy, which includes a target of 100,000ha of broadacre crops in the Territory by 2030.

“This case sends a strong message that the system is broken, and we urgently need reform to nature laws in the Northern Territory,” Ms Howey said.

“As we’ve done with Auvergne, we will keep scrutinising and challenging land clearing permits across the Territory.”