set 2 benefit from shifting food bowl north

Federal task force to consider gulf agriculture potential

Posted Tue Jul 3, 2007 8:45am AEST

* Map: Karumba 4891

Members of the Federal Government's Northern Australia Land and Water Task Force are expected to visit the Gulf of Carpentaria, in north Queensland, next month.

They are examining the potential to expand agriculture in the tropics where there is plenty of rainfall.

The task force held its first meeting last week and Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch and Indigenous leader Noel Pearson are members.

Its chairman, Senator Bill Heffernan, says the gulf holds enormous potential, but he is keeping an open mind about its suitability for agriculture.

"We come to the table with a clean sheet of paper. We're going to lead with the science and we are certainly looking to do this is a way that doesn't put us into conflict with mother earth so that Australia can continue to be a great place to live, to raise a family, drink clean water and breathe clean air," he said.