Southern Enclaves: Mining, Tourism and Urban Development

Abstract

Major land and natural resource developments are critical to the future of northern Australia. At the same time, however, big projects mean big social and environmental impacts. Striking that balance between development and the needs of northern communities can be achieved, but our current systems of land use planning and impact assessment centre major decision making in the hands of southern governments and corporate boardrooms in capital cities and overseas. A lack of localism in land use planning and major project assessment processes has led to epic north-south conflicts, often leaving heavy casualties on both sides. This chapter explores the northern experience in the mining, tourism and urban development sectors and explores pathways for reform in our planning and impact assessment processes.