LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Sir – It is time the Federal and NT governments joined forces with the council to look at developing a 10-year regional master plan for the Barkly.
The NT Government has already entered into an agreement with the Commonwealth to create a City Deal for Darwin that will drive investment and make life better for residents, businesses and the Territory.
I would like all of us to enter into something similar, focusing on maximising the investment, infrastructure, economic development and job opportunities across the Barkly region.
With the construction of the Northern Gas Pipeline, the re-opening of mothballed mines, the NT Government awarding major project status to several mining projects, and Council recently creating a cross border economic alliance with Mt Isa Town Council, a master plan would pull all these opportunities into a cohesive form and set a long-term and sustainable vision for the future for this region and its residents
Mayor Steven Edgington (pictured)
Barkly Regional Council, Tennant Creek
UPDATE 8:50am
Minister for Primary Industry and Resources, Ken Vowles, says in a media release the government is pursuing a number of strategies to realise the Barkly’s potential.
“We are providing new geological data and information to attract new exploration activity that could lead to new discoveries,” he says.
“This helps lower risks for the industry and gives the Territory a competitive advantage in attracting exploration investment.”
Mr Vowles says progress is being made in the region, with the opening of the Edna Beryl Gold Mine earlier this year and construction starting on Jemena’s Northern Gas Pipeline, which has seen local businesses winning tenders.
“These two projects show the variety of opportunities available in the Barkly. Add to that the pastoral industry, which is a strong contributor to the Tennant Creek economy, and the horticultural possibilities – we are currently trialling different varieties of mangoes to see if crops are viable in the region – there are plenty of opportunities.”
Suddenly – once again – everybody sees the need for masterplans; and it’s interesting to see there’s no apparent distinction on the basis of political or ideological persuasion between those who are making these calls for such plans.
There’s an old saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions but the Territory’s twist is that the path to inaction is paved with planning documents.
I wonder if it is a cunning master plan?