Northern Australia

In 2018­­­–19 PEAN showed it is possible to use government data to explore regional economic development opportunities and issues. We focused on the Darwin rural area as a pilot. The study area included the Finniss, Adelaide, Mary and Wildman river catchments. After combining data on this area from diverse sources, we worked with the Office of Northern Australia and the North Australia Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance to generate meaningful information about development opportunities. The data enabled us to investigate different aspects of sustainable development in the Darwin region as case studies, which generated the insights listed below. The methods developed for the Darwin rural area could be applied to other parts of Australia. More details on methods is provided in the accompanying methods report (Stokes et al. 2019).

The project lead for PEAN was the CSIRO, with support from ABARES, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Bureau of Meteorology, Data61 and the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.

Northern Australia project study area

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Case Study

Jobs and growth
A look at recent agricultural development in the Darwin rural area and what we can learn to make informed decisions for the future
Mango farm, NT (CSIRO)

Insights

There was substantial agricultural development in the Darwin area without sustained government investment
Business turnover increased by more than $100 million and over 200 new jobs were created over a 13-year period at the beginning of the century.
Aquaculture ponds, NT (CSIRO)
Growth in the Agricultural Services sector shows that agriculture is maturing in the Darwin area
Between 2002 and 2015 more than half new jobs in agriculture were in the services sector and the number of businesses in that sector increased from 29 to 59.
Hay harvesting, NT (CSIRO)
Agriculture businesses in the Darwin area that spent capital in their first year survived longer
Businesses that made capital purchases in their first year of operations lasted on average two more years than those that did not.
Road train, Darwin, NT (DoEE)

Case Study

Indigenous workforce
An examination of employment rates and salaries of Indigenous people in the Darwin area and how they relate to education and area of living
Three Indigenous rangers walking across rocks near the ocean

Insights

Education level is a key determinant of employment and income for Indigenous workers in the Darwin region
Over 95% of workers with a diploma or degree were employed, falling to 75% of those educated to year 9, who had much lower salaries and higher income volatility.
library
There are jobs in the bush and in town for Indigenous male and female workers in the Darwin region
Indigenous workers made up 50% of park rangers and 44% of social security workers. Workers with tertiary qualifications earned similar salaries in urban and rural jobs.
Member of the Nyambaga Aboriginal Green Team cutting and poisoning weed stumps from beside Taylors Arm in Congarinni

Case Study

Agriculture and threatened species
Investigating the potential effects of agricultural development on endemic threatened species in the Darwin area
Gouldian finch

Insights

Development of land for cropping in the Darwin area can occur away from the habitats of threatened species
In the Darwin area, less than 1% of the land suitable for soybean cropping overlaps the habitats of the two threatened animal species investigated.
Yellow-snouted gecko

Case Study

Agriculture and species of concern
How agriculture can develop in the Darwin area without interfering with the conservation of threatened species
Asian vegetables in a Darwin greenhouse

Insights

Agriculture could co-exist with species of concern in the Darwin area
Hotspots for potentially vulnerable mammals occupy 28% of the 233,950 hectares notionally available for agriculture. Those for endangered species occupy just 0.07%.
Overview of the vineyards and citrus crops near the township of Renmark

Case Study

Indigenous estate and biodiversity
Opportunities for Indigenous communities and conservation in the Darwin region
Tree with dust storm

Insights

Large areas of Indigenous land near Darwin contain threatened species
The Indigenous estate contains high concentrations of threatened species, and more than 50,000 hectares of habitat for the region’s two most endemic threatened animals.
Aerial shot of an escarpment near the East Alligator River in Kakadu National Park (World Heritage Listed site)

Case Study

Agricultural investment
How government could support investment northern agriculture - a literature survey
Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) hanging on the vine

Insights

Government can support investment in northern agriculture in three ways
Provide flexible and agile support for diverse development pathways. Help investors avoid options at high risk of being non-viable. Target RD&E to address risks.
Bok choi in a greenhouse

Case Study

Seasonal labour demand
Lessons from weather data
Mangoes

Insights

Farms would benefit from agile immigration programs for hiring foreign workers
The start of the peak season varied by 25 days from 1960 to 2017, with a big shift every eight years on average: imported workers could miss the peak in those years.
Mangoes hanging from tree
Regions
Northern Territory
Published date
13 May 2020
Updated date
13 May 2020
Authored by
CSIRO