FEDERAL Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch is reminding Far Northern individuals and organisations that they have until Monday, February 17th to make a submission to the Parliamentary Joint Select Committee on Northern Australia.
“I know it’s a busy time in the New Year but I really don’t want Far North Queenslanders to miss out on having input at this important stage,” said Mr Entsch, who is Chair of the Joint Select Committee.
Submissions should address the Terms of Reference, in that the Committee is specifically looking to;
· examine the potential for development of the region’s mineral, energy, agricultural, tourism, defence and other industries;
· provide recommendations to:
Ø enhance trade and other investment links with the Asia-Pacific;
Ø establish a conducive regulatory, taxation and economic environment;
Ø address impediments to growth;
Ø set conditions for private investment and innovation; and
· identify the critical economic and social infrastructure needed to support the long term growth of the region, and ways to support planning and investment in that infrastructure.
Submitters are encouraged to read the information on preparing a submission available on the committee website before lodging their submission. This can be found here.
The Committee would prefer submissions to be emailed to jscna@aph.gov.au. Alternatively, they can be sent on disk or USB as a Word document or PDF to:
Committee Secretary
Joint Select Committee on Northern Australia
PO Box 6021
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
Phone: (02) 6277 4162
Fax: (02) 6277 4427
email: jscna@aph.gov.au
Mr Entsch and the Committee will travel extensively in April and May holding public consultation sessions.
“We’ll be visiting communities right across Northern Australia, from Kununurra and Karratha in the West, to Darwin in the north, Alice Springs in the centre, to Cape York, Cairns and the East Coast.
“It’s going be a very intensive process but I’m really looking forward to getting out to these regional areas and hearing what people want when it comes to economic development in Northern Australia.”
The Committee is due to deliver its final report and recommendations to the Parliament in mid-July.
