Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

The government is not only keen to see Australia as an area leading development in industry; we are passionate about supporting northern Australia as the hub for innovation and world-leading research. We have recently appointed leading grazier, John Wharton, as interim Chair for the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia. This new CRC will encourage collaboration between research organisations and industry. It will be focused on the food, agriculture and tropical health sectors.

Beyond the work of the CRC, the government is investing in a renewed focus on tropical health and medicine. We recently committed $42 million to the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine at James Cook University for a range of research facilities. Northern Australia is the gateway to the tropics, which will be home to half the world's population by 2050. We are well placed to be a leader in tropical health going forward. It is an exciting time to be in northern Australia.