The Northern Territory government is proposing to slash approval times for land clearing and water licences, build new cotton gins and scale up the cropping industry in what is hoped to spur a $700 million sector increase within a decade.
Among the raft of proposals within the new strategy, which the government has developed with the NT Farmers Association, is a proposal to change the laws around pastoral leases so they can be used to grow crops.
"Major infrastructure establishment such as cotton gins … coupled with the availability of suitable land and access to water … are leading to a growing broadacre cropping industry in the Territory," the strategy states.
"Growing dryland cotton has been identified as a high-value broadacre cropping option for expanding agriculture in the NT."
One of the major targets set out is the expansion of the cropping industry – of which cotton is currently the most lucrative – to 100,000 hectares.
Northern Territory Agriculture Minister Paul Kirby said he hoped the $1.3 billion industry would grow to $2 billion by 2030.
"Agribusiness is worth big dollars to the Territory and to our economy – and we have our sights on making it even bigger," he said.
Environmental groups have raised issues with the plan. Environment Centre NT director Kirsty Howey said the strategy paves the way for unsustainable land clearing and the expansion of the cotton industry with "even less scrutiny".
She said the strategy shadows a legal battle in the Supreme Court where groups are arguing cotton can't be grown, according to government laws, on pastoral land.
She also pointed out that land-clearing approvals had already increased by 300 per cent.
"Politicians should be standing up for our intact rivers and savannas, not facilitating their destruction," she said.
NT Farmers Association president Simon Smith told the NT Country Hour there would be environmental challenges in reaching 100,000 hectares of cleared land for crops, but that it was an important conversation to have in the context of jobs and the economy.
"If we're to provide employment for regional communities and an opportunity for farmers to expand we need to be prepared … to be responsible stakeholders and responsible land managers," he said.
"One of the important discussions we're having is about irrigation technology and how we use water more efficiently [such as] drip irrigation for crops like cotton."
Adrian Tomlinson, the chief executive of the Arid Lands Environment Centre, said the government was trying to give the industry more rights before proper regulatory frameworks were in place.
"It's widely acknowledged the [NT] water laws are not to the Australian standard, and yet we're talking about making it easier to get a water license," he said.
"We're faced with dangerous climate change and we're talking about making it easier to clear land."
Pastoral land is land owned by the government and leased out for pastoral purposes.
It's also subject to native title laws, which give First Nations Australian's rights to their traditional land and waters and an input into their use.
Mr Tomlinson said the strategy had a "myopic focus on growing agribusiness without any regard for its consequences as to who pays".
"In that regard, to me, it's situated itself in a deep colonial tradition of furthering the rights of the pastoral industry without properly considering the land on which it's situated and the native title holders," he said.
The Northern Land Council has been contacted for comment.
NT Farmers Association chief executive Paul Burke said the strategy provided a clear focus on how the NT could be developed responsibly to generate long-term economic opportunities.
"We look forward to working with the government to fully implement the strategy and to grow the size of agriculture in the NT," he said.
