SARA EVERINGHAM: The Federal Government's also using the Darwin forum to showcase about a hundred new projects it says are ready for investment.
One of them is the Seafarms Group's major prawn farm proposal in the far north-west of the Northern Territory.
The Group's executive director Chris Mitchell says the company is seeking about $150 million for the first stage of the $1.5 billion project.
CHRIS MITCHELL: The project is designed to export Australian prawns to the world.
The first stage of the project is planned to be about 1000 hectares and produce 10,000 tonnes of prawns per year.
It can grow to producing at, say, 100,000 tonnes of prawns each year from 10,000 hectares. It would produce about $1.7 billion of export revenue to the country.
SARA EVERINGHAM: But there are hurdles.
Chris Mitchell says the company's in talks with the Federal Government about the need for better infrastructure such as roads.
CHRIS MITCHELL: Private investors can bring a lot of capital to the table, but there are cases where the Government ought to and can sensibly step in to make projects occur and happen.
It's just something that needs to be done for Australia, for the 21st century, for the benefit of whole country.
SARA EVERINGHAM: So far the federal and Northern Territory governments have embraced the prawn farm proposal, giving it major project status to help simplify approvals.
But the Northern Land Council's chief executive officer Joe Morrison says that was premature because he says traditional owners are still considering a land use proposal from the company.
JOE MORRISON: When it comes time to consult with traditional owners and people who have got a Native Title interest, or have the land title, that they're typically the last ones to be engaged in these projects and their development, when in fact Aboriginal peoples and their consent and their approval should be right up front in the planning process.
So achieving major project status has really disregarded the rights of Aboriginal people and the interest that they have.
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