The Burning Platform Northern Australia currently represents over 46% of the total Australian area for agricultural activity but under 13% of the value of agricultural production at farm gate. The north has aspirational regional and aboriginal communities and significant land and water resources that are vastly under utilised. Inadequate returns have both punished existing capital and discouraged fresh capital from investing in the north. There is currently no end in sight to this trend. There is an unquestionable but largely untapped opportunity for Australia in serving growing niche food markets to our north. However if we do not act the opportunity will pass us by. A coordinated and holistic North wide approach is not evident

The Big Idea Our Vision or Reason for Being To deliver high impact research, that will lower investment barriers and enable significant capital to flow to agricultural development in the north. Our Key Tenets – A nation building project within the north and looking north. – Technological innovation for profitable value chains into Asia. – Socially and environmentally sustainable development. – Strong ongoing and broad regional and aboriginal community ownership, engagement and benefit. – Transformational and Inclusive.

The Assumption Agriculture (including Aquaculture) will play a strategically important role in an emerging transformation of the north. It can for example: – Diversify and balance regional economies by attracting private investment – Develop trade with domestic and overseas markets – Sustainably draw on natural resources – Create demand for infrastructure development – Work with existing and create new businesses – Improve the live-ability of local communities – Create demand for new skills

The Opportunity The AgNorth Cooperative Research Centre proposal offers the opportunity for a long term research commitment enabling many of the seemingly intractable issues about Northern development to be addressed. Our Proposed Model

Conclusion A real opportunity exists to bring entrepreneurial ingenuity and public investments in science, technology development and policy coordination together in Northern Australia for the benefit of Northern Australia, broader Australia and the Asia Pacific region. This would establish a strong foundation based on collaboration, high impact science and research and deliver the best chance we have of attracting the significant private capital needed to realize the opportunity.