2007 NTCA Yearbook - Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association

Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association Incorporated
Advancing and Protecting the Interests of Cattle Producers in the Northern Territory
NTCA President’s Report
NTCA Annual Conference 2007
After 12 months as president, I am happy to report
that the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association
is in excellent shape and getting stronger, more
proactive and more prominent with every year.
Members are optimistic as they position themselves for predicted
future expansion in both our domestic and export markets. The
NTCA remains strong, vibrant and vocal in lobbying for the rights
of its members and it also maintains its unique position of having
over 95% of the Territory’s cattle herd represented through its
membership books.
I mistakenly believed that the past year would have sailed
through without too much going wrong. We’ve been challenged
on many fronts in the past 12 months and NTCA has initiated
meetings with governments at all levels, both at home and in Canberra,
to make sure the issues of greatest concern and importance
to our members are kept at the forefront of influential minds.
Selling cattle interstate has at times been difficult due to the
ongoing drought conditions experienced by Queensland, New
South Wales, and South Australia.
We look forward to a prosperous rainfall season in the southern
and eastern states, with the hope that southern territory beef will
again be in strong demand for the back-grounding and feedlot industries.
The continuing unacceptable state of our beef roads, local government
reform, new road speed restrictions and Occupational
Health & Safety initiatives. They’ve all been top priority issues for
our members over the past 12 months.
Beef road conditions
Like a reoccurring bad dream the state of the Territory’s beef roads,
particularly in Central Australia and the Barkly, remain another
critical issue that fails to receive the necessary attention from government.
Many Territory producers suffer a substantial penalty in
a direct cash cost because they are forced to transport cattle on
dangerous and poorly maintained roads.
Despite our association’s intense and relentless representations
over many months on this issue, the fact remains that less than
10 per cent of NT road maintenance funding is being spent on
these dangerous but vital beef roads.
Primary industry plays a vital role in the Territory’s economy,
and its success relies on an effective and safe road network. The
growth in the live cattle export industry now requires ongoing
production and export activities throughout the year, increasing
the demand for year round access on routes traditionally closed
by wet season flooding.
We are continuing to lobby both the NT and Australian Governments
to increase their current road funding commitment.
We have made some progress in meetings with a number of high
ranked ministers but it’s the tip of the iceberg. With a federal election
in the wind, we see great scope to keep pushing our demands
through our local federal members and the responsible ministers
in Canberra. We can’t afford to let up on this issue because urgent
action is critical for our industry.
An abysmal 6543 km of the Territory’s 21,000 kms of roads are
sealed at this stage. While we acknowledge some recent funding
advances, most of the unsealed roads are poorly maintained and
this poses huge problems for the cattle industry.
Our industry is a 365 days-a-year operation requiring access to
markets all year round. We desperately need sound roads to meet
our commitments to both domestic and export markets.
If the Northern Territory is to prosper in the future, government
must invest in strategic infrastructure to take full advantage of regional
growth opportunities presented by the key pastoral, tourism
and mining industries.
New speed restrictions
The NT Government’s new 110km/hr regional road speed restriction
became a hot issue for the NTCA late last year. In what can
only be seen as an ill-focussed reaction to the Territory’s rising road
fatalities, the government, without consulting Territorian’s, decided
to reduce the open highway speed limit to 130 and imposed a maximum
110 km/hr limit for all other roads, including major regional
arterial roads.
Primary industry plays a vital role in
the Territory’s economy, and its success
relies on an effective and safe road
network.
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Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association Year in review 2006-2007