Chief Minister Adam Giles today endorsed the new policy commitment for Northern Australia by the Federal Coalition as being totally consistent with the vision of the Northern Territory Government.

“The Coalition’s 2030 vision is a fantastic opportunity to put into practise long term plans and ideas about developing Australia’s north.

“The Territory is well placed to become an economic powerhouse with an open-for-business attitude so it is great to hear the Federal Coalition also has a similar outlook. We should think big for Northern Australia,” Mr Giles said.

“Northern Australia is rich with opportunities because of its natural, geographic and strategic assets but many of these remain underutilised.

“Northern Australia, and the Northern Territory in particular, is the logical gateway to Asia’s economic powerhouses and we should be making the most of our strategic location.

“Investment in infrastructure is crucial to achieving our potential and we will happily work with an Abbott Government, if elected, to overcome the years of financial neglect suffered by the Northern Australia under Labor leaders like Julia Gillard and Delia Lawrie.

“There has been a long debate about whether or not trade development and strategic economic zones, which already operate in many parts of the world, would unlock the untapped potential of Northern Australia.

Mr Giles said there were already many synergies with Western Australia and Queensland for developing whole-of-Northern Australia strategies.

“This provides great prospects for governments across Northern Australia to promote our investment opportunities,” Mr Giles said.

“The plan by the Coalition certainly provides the economic frameworks for us to be able to develop jobs into the future and I think it’s a very solid framework in which they want to move forward on.