There is some very good grounds for open critical analysis of Northern development and in particular damming and agriculture .
The northern areas of Australia have some of the most hardy durable livestock that can survive in very harsh conditions .This is not limited to being water alone it has much to do with the environment they are in .
Being able to obtain yielding agriculture has not been easy to this stage and our early attempts and current attempts to the best of my knowledge and was highlighted by my friend lastnite why would you attempt something more when the success of such attempts has not been something we have been able to achieve so far with the ord river scheme after close on forty years and closer to eighty from conception!
He was not against Northern development as a lot was also mineral based as well not just agriculture . We also have tourism to think of which is a very large export industry which the ord scheme possibly lives with its best successful industries achievements to date?
We have to look at the southern agriculture and our value adding industries that could be effected by tax free zones and then value added products returning to the shelves in our retailers and domestic markets.
Much of Northern Australia is leasehold land! It May not of been developed for this reason in similar fashion as the Southern areas of Australia wasnt till freehold status was achieved.
We did talk about getting the water south in much the same lines as lapdog with water grids and wooduk with cynical acrimonus debate of what has put it on the table .
I made the statement of needing a gerry mander on one of the threads and i was not being silly or biased being a kap supporter which it possibly would support but along the lines of lack of vision and possibly many of our visionary projects to date have been undertaken while such systems were in place?
Early market products mangoes being an example can distort southern markets similar to our beef which has seen the decimation of value adding industries like abbatoirs disappear!Or become seasonal !
