Developing Northern Australia Conference a reminder for the NT to embrace more development

Darwin’s selection to host the Developing Northern Australia Conference this year is a good reminder that NT leaders need to make sure the Territory is a place where new ideas for development are embraced as much as possible.

Northern Australia might have a small population compared to the rest of the nation but it’s a region that boasts some of the country’s most exciting opportunities for investment.

From mining, oil and gas projects to new initiatives in tourism, defence and emerging industries such as space, there is no shortage of bold ideas for economic development in the north.

The annual Developing Northern Australia Conference is the nation’s premier event for canvassing the plethora of big ideas and projects happening in our north each year and, this August, Darwin will be in the centre of it all after being selected as the host city for 2021.

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The Northern Territory has always occupied a key place in the federal government’s Northern Australia agenda and hosting events, such as this conference, help keep us on the radar.

But competition for attention and investment in this space is always fierce and to stay front and centre Territory leaders need to make sure the NT is a place where new ideas for development are embraced as much as possible.

With the recent canning of projects such as the Parklands development in the Gardens and Endeavour Drinks’ proposal for a Dan Murphy’s superstore in Darwin, the NT still has a long way before it can be considered truly development friendly.

It’s time to go full throttle.

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