South Australia and Northern Territory sign new agreement
Giles, Adam
Country Liberals
Media Releases for 12th Assembly 2012 - 2016; Media Releases; ParliamentNT
2015-04-17
South Australia
Made available by via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT)
English
Infrastructure; Tourism; Conservation (Natural resources)
Northern Territory Government
application/pdf
Issued as a Media Release
Northern Territory Government
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/255300
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/524270
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/524268; https://hdl.handle.net/10070/524266; https://hdl.handle.net/10070/524271
Page 2 of 4 BACKGROUND: There is a long history of collaboration between the peoples and governments of South Australia and the Northern Territory. This extends back tens of thousands of years in the case of the first inhabitants and traditional owners of this land. The lines on the map that divide the governance of the land are relatively recent and not reflective of our shared history. Major infrastructure projects have increasingly physically linked the jurisdictions, commencing with the Australian Overland Telegraph Line in the 1870s, the Stuart Highway, finally sealed throughout in the 1980s, and most recently the Adelaide- Darwin Railway, a hallmark of intergovernmental collaboration for mutual benefit and a significant contributor to the development of Northern Australia. Between us, we can claim to be the home of three of Australias top five tourist icons, namely Kakadu National Park, Uluru and Kangaroo Island. Our aboriginal communities collectively produce the overwhelming majority of high-quality aboriginal art work. Our Governments face serious challenges in the remote aboriginal communities whose ancestral lands cross our European drawn boundaries. The service needs for the people living in these areas are significant. Recent achievements across social service provision, economic generation and environmental management have included, but are not limited to: Cross-Border Justice Scheme SA-NT DataLink Digital Telehealth Network MOU to attract greater investment in Minerals and Energy exploration and development along the North-South Corridor. Dozens more collaborative activities or initiatives exist between our governments that provide real benefits for our citizens. These projects demonstrate the significant mutual benefits that the two governments can achieve when they work together and share their resources and ingenuity. This benefits communities in both jurisdictions and furthers strategic objectives of both governments.