Proposal Overview
The Etheridge Shire Agricultural Precinct proposal aims to create ‘an agricultural and water precinct of State significance’ that would establish protocols and preapprovals relating to tenure, water allocation, vegetation management, native title future acts and cultural heritage’. As a coordinated project, this proposal would target the general unallocated water available under the Water Plan (Gulf) 2007 (see Water Management).
Proposal Status
RDATN and ESC have engaged with State and Federal governments to develop the proposal and with landholders who attended the Etheridge Agricultural Forum in Georgetown in March 2022. Funding is being sought to undertake a number of activities and assessments that would support ESC (as the proponents) to progress the project. These include:
- water assessments to identify available and potential supply
- farming land analysis to determine boundaries of the precinct and identify suitable agricultural land
- developing Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUA) with the Ewamian Aboriginal Corporation and Tagalaka Aboriginal Corporation (the Prescribed Body Corporations in the precinct area)
- assessments of community and economic benefits
- scoping of project management arrangements
- feasibility assessment based on above analyses
- Environmental Impact Assessment (as required by projects declared as a ‘coordinated project’)
These activities would build on existing assessments and data sources for the Gilbert River, including the CSIRO Flinders and Gilbert Agricultural Resource Assessment.
Resources
On this website: