Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House notes that:

(1) there is a serious need for infrastructure and economic development in Australia’s north;

(2) the Government wants to maximise Northern Australia’s enormous untapped potential and the Prime Minister has adopted measures that will end years of Government inertia on developing this region;

(3) the terms of reference for the Northern Australia White Paper provide a foundation for a rigorous, well-defined and timely policy platform for promoting Northern Australia’s development; and

(4) through its deliberations the Parliamentary Joint Select Committee on Northern Australia will contribute to the development of the White Paper with valuable feedback from stakeholders on the ground who have an interest in advancing the national interest.

Developing north Australia is imperative to see our region grow and thrive, given our advantageous location and unique agricultural opportunities. I was delighted that, after some discussions with Prime Minister Abbott, the terms of reference were expanded to include Alice Springs. Very importantly, the terms of reference were launched in the Northern Territory—in fact, in my electorate.

The coalition's policy to develop the north, which was released last year, names Australia's north as underutilised relative to the rest of the country, despite its natural, geographic and strategic assets. This is in stark contrast to previous governments' attitudes to northern Australia. For far too long Labor governments have hindered growth in the Northern Territory. Locally, we had 11 years of Labor, which meant 11 years of populous policy, 11 years of waste, and no real investment in infrastructure.

As a result, we now see the Country Liberals Territory government picking up the pieces of a neglected health system and an underachieving education system. These are major road blocks when it comes to growing our north. That is why the coalition has listened to my advocacy for my electorate and, indeed all Australians and the rest of the Territory, and has invested in a new hospital for Palmerston and education funding that will provide real outcomes for our children.

Along with this, the coalition recognises the territory's need for improved road infrastructure, and has placed this as a priority. This was proved in the recent budget. I am delighted with the Australian government's investment of $90 million in a regional roads productivity package, and $77 million in the Northern Territory's specific roads package. This is a significant commitment, given the financial mess that the previous Labor government has left us in. These investments come on top of the $70 million already promised by this government to duplicate Tiger Brennan Drive in my electorate.

It makes sense to continue investment in Darwin and Palmerston. Our geographic location means that we are often the first responders in Australia's response to international disasters, and we also have a massive advantage in trade with our Asian neighbours. Darwin and Palmerston really are the gateway to Asia. The booming economies of South-East Asia and southern China are within three to five hours flying time from Darwin. Plus, we are privileged to have advantages from sharing a similar time zone to many Asian countries.

Asia is already the world's largest and fastest-growing regional economy. By 2030 Asia's real GDP is expected to increase from 27 trillion to $67 trillion—exceeding the expected GDP of the Americas and Europe combined. Our exports to Asia have already benefited from this rise, with an 80 per cent increase in the decade to 2011. Given these economic advantages it is imperative that this government and future governments continue to invest in major transport infrastructure such as ports and airports.

Due to our location, the Top End is the leader in Australia's export capacity. As of 2011, more than 636 million tonnes is exported from seaports in northern Australia. This represents 74 per cent of the national total of exports via seaports. I am excited to be part of the coalition's plan to develop the north through my position on the Joint Standing Committee on North Australia. I am a proud advocate for the Territory being a leader in this process.

The Territory's interest is obvious, through the large number of quality submissions to the joint standing committee received. It was really encouraging that people were able to share their ideas and their visions to ensure that we develop north Australia. The committee has travelled extensively across northern Australia and was in Darwin recently. I was proud of the number of quality submissions the committee received. In fact, we had so much interest in the committee that we will be coming back to Darwin later this month. It was great to be able to harvest the fantastic ideas that are developing in our community.

People in northern Australia know that the Abbott government are committed to developing the north—putting into action the promises we made at the election. As I said, I am excited about the opportunities the coalition commitment to develop the North will bring my electorate and all Territorians. I will continue to lobby this government to drive growth through the fantastic opportunities that we have in the Territory.

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