SOIL-LANDSCAPE Soi l- landsc ape and general land suitabi l i ty information and mapping are avai lable from the Depar tment of Environment and Natural Resources Rangelands Divis ion. DENR may have appropriate land suitabi l i ty information for some areas. However, where there is insuff ic ient information avai lable the lessee wi l l need to provide evidence of land types in order for the Depar tment to provide advice.

Information concerning specif ic crop requirements should be sought from the Depar tment of Pr imar y Industr ies and Resources (DPIR) .

When assessing land suitabi l i ty the fol lowing general soi l- landsc apes proper t ies are impor tant :

• slope

• rock outcrop

• soil drainage (general wetness during monsoonal activity)

• soil depth

• clay content

• soil pH

The Northern Territory Government is able to provide advice to

pastoral ists looking to diversify and develop non-pastoral use operations

on their pastoral lease. When looking at land capabil i ty to support the

proposed non-pastoral use activit ies a combination of advice on land

suitabi l i ty, crop suitabi l i ty and water avai labi l i ty should be sought.

LAND SUITABILITYDIVERSIFYING THE TERRITORY

UNLOCK THE POTENTIAL OF OUR LAND

Soil-Landscape Rangelands Divis ion, Depar tment of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)

Crop Suitability Depar tment of Pr imar y Industr ies and Resources (DPIR)

Water AvailabilityWater Resources Divis ion, Depar tment of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)

For more information contact : DENR Land Assessment Branch

P: 08 8999 4478 | E : rangelands@nt.gov.au

For advice on erosion and sediment control contact :

DENR Land Development Coordinat ion Branch P: 08 8999 4572 | E : rangelands@nt.gov.au

For more information and advice contact :

DENR Water Resources Divis ion P: 08 8999 4455 | E : waterresources@nt.gov.au

www.nt.gov.au/npu

Water AvailabilityWater resource information and mapping are avai lable from the DENR Water Resources Divis ion. The sc ale of the proposed development largely dictates the level of detai l for which information is required.

For instance a low impact development may only require a desktop study however a development that has the potent ia l for s ignif ic ant impact on the water resource wi l l require f ie ld invest igat ions for thorough assessment. Developments in the Top End are subject to di fferent pol ic ies than developments in the ar id zone.

When assessing water requirements the fol lowing factors are taken into account :

• Resource availabil ity

• Resource Capacity and Sustainable yield

• Water Quality.

Licensing provis ions apply to Water Control Distr icts and Water Al loc at ion Plan areas.

For more information contact :

Warren Hunt , DPIR Plant Industr ies Group P: 08 8999 2143 | E : warren.hunt@nt.gov.au

Crop SuitabilityTechnic al ly, a huge range of crops c an be grown in the Nor thern Terr i tor y. As a general guide, common food crops that grow in summer in temperate areas c an be grown in the NT in the dr y season. The wet season is more l imited to tropic al crops. When consider ing agr icultural and hor t icultural opt ions, i t is more impor tant to evaluate markets and pr ice f luctuat ions for produce, logist ic s of the operat ion and, establ ishment and running costs.

The Plant Industr ies Group of DPIR provides appl ied research, development and extension ser vices for hor t icultural , broad-acre and forestr y industr y development in the Nor thern Terr i tor y. The group provides a ‘point of entr y ’ to prospect ive investors seeking to star t p lant based enterpr ises. This includes faci l i tat ion ser vices such as arranging cross-agency br ief ings and assistance with ident i f ic at ion of key contacts.

Other key considerat ions wi l l include:

• Power supply (availabil ity, reliabil ity and cost)

• Availabil ity and cost of inputs (ferti l isers, chemical pesticides)

• Road and transportation (suitabil ity, access and availabil ity)

• Capital for infrastructure (machinery, cool rooms, packing sheds, packing materials)

• Labour (availabil ity, skil ls, visa requirements, housing and salaries)

• The value of the crop compared to the cost to transport it to market (high value, low volume options are more l ikely to be profitable due to the Territory’s isolation).

DPIR wi l l assist in providing technic al advice on plant production, biosecurity measures and market access information for lease holder ’s business c ases which wi l l suppor t decision making around diversif ic at ion activit ies.