NT Cattlemen’s Association’s bid to improve outback roads

THE NT Cattlemen’s Association (NTCA) has released a $535m strategic road funding wish list projected to create 3000 jobs over five years

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THE NT Cattlemen’s Association (NTCA) has released a $535m strategic road funding wish list projected to create 3000 jobs over five years.

The wish list would drive the economic growth of four industries and prioritises remote roads used by pastoralists, the resources industry and tourism sector.

The NT road network covers about 22,000km with about 70 per cent or 15,000km being unsealed.

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The NTCA’s wish list of upgrades includes the Sandover, Tablelands and Buchanan highways.

NTCA president Chris Nott said road infrastructure was critical to the Territory dragging itself out of the economic hole it had found itself in.

“The identified roads are not just for the benefit of the cattle industry but also the resources (mining and onshore gas) and the tourism sector,” he said.

“These are wealth-generating infrastructure suggestions designed to ensure that the productivity of the Territory economy can be dramatically improved.”

Mr Nott said transport costs were among the biggest expense to the pastoral industry with up to 35 per cent of the sale price of an animal spent on transport.

Mr Nott said he was aware of pastoralists adding 800km to 900km to a trip just to avoid bad sections of the Plenty Highway.

NTCA chief executive Ashley Manicaros said the suggested roads package would provide “more bang for buck” than what had been identified in the first report of the Territory Economic Reconstruction Commission’s report.

The report suggested the NT government approach the federal government to bring forward the nominally committed road funding to fast-track the upgrade of the Central Arnhem Highway.

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Mr Manicaros said the project did not support multiple industries like the wishlist the NTCA had suggested.

“The NTCA believes the need for infrastructure which will improve the economic productivity of existing industries is far more critical in accelerating economic repair.”