Despite the fundamental strategic, economic and cultural significance of northern Australia, it is only in recent times that the idea of multi-disciplinary debate about how this region should be developed has been seriously undertaken.

Arguably, the models of development that served southern Australia are inappropriate for the North, given profound shifts in social, political, economic, regional and environmental contexts. Governments, industry, theoreticians and indigenous groups alike are all looking for new models to build sustainable, confident and healthy communities.

The primary purpose of the inaugural Charles Darwin Symposium is to map out the emerging issues and entrenched views that will shape the development of northern Australia. Rather than focusing on industry and business sectors specifically, forum contributors will paint a broad picture of the generic issues that now or in the future will impact on our development as a whole.

Symposium Themes

Presentations will cover:

• Visions for the future
• Avoiding the ecological mistakes of other jurisdictions
• Population policy – should we be ambitious or conservative?
• Our future health: what are the prognoses?
• Forecasts for northern development in a warming world
• Welfare policy in the North: questions we should be asking
• Showing leadership: North Australia’s relations with the Asian region
• Why research should influence policy and vice versa
• The harsh realities of influencing policy: a housing case study
• When and why does Government intervene in the economy

Symposia two to four will canvas many of the issues explored here in greater depth.