Australia: Agriculture in Northern Australia
The Australian government is seeking to further develop agriculture, agribusiness and other industries in northern Australia. This undeveloped region covers over 40 percent of Australia’s land mass, contains 60 percent of its water resources and is often called ‘Australia’s last frontier’. A new White Paper supports the expansion of agricultural production and exports to Asia by industries such as meat and livestock, horticulture, grains, sugar, rice, aquaculture and fishing. A range of land use, labor and regulatory reforms are proposed to boost foreign investment. The paper supports greater bilateral investment and research cooperation with the United States, which already has significant energy and resources investments in the region.