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Insights

PEAN’s projects identify insights that are relevant to important policy questions about the environment, economy and society.

Road train, Darwin, NT (DoEE)
Agriculture businesses in the Darwin area that spent capital in their first year survived longer
Businesses that made capital purchases in their first year of operations lasted on average two more years than those that did not.
Overview of the vineyards and citrus crops near the township of Renmark
Agriculture could co-exist with species of concern in the Darwin area
Hotspots for potentially vulnerable mammals occupy 28% of the 233,950 hectares notionally available for agriculture. Those for endangered species occupy just 0.07%.
Yellow-snouted gecko
Development of land for cropping in the Darwin area can occur away from the habitats of threatened species
In the Darwin area, less than 1% of the land suitable for soybean cropping overlaps the habitats of the two threatened animal species investigated.
library
Education level is a key determinant of employment and income for Indigenous workers in the Darwin region
Over 95% of workers with a diploma or degree were employed, falling to 75% of those educated to year 9, who had much lower salaries and higher income volatility.
Mangoes hanging from tree
Farms would benefit from agile immigration programs for hiring foreign workers
The start of the peak season varied by 25 days from 1960 to 2017, with a big shift every eight years on average: imported workers could miss the peak in those years.
Bok choi in a greenhouse
Government can support investment in northern agriculture in three ways
Provide flexible and agile support for diverse development pathways. Help investors avoid options at high risk of being non-viable. Target RD&E to address risks.
Hay harvesting, NT (CSIRO)
Growth in the Agricultural Services sector shows that agriculture is maturing in the Darwin area
Between 2002 and 2015 more than half new jobs in agriculture were in the services sector and the number of businesses in that sector increased from 29 to 59.
Aerial shot of an escarpment near the East Alligator River in Kakadu National Park (World Heritage Listed site)
Large areas of Indigenous land near Darwin contain threatened species
The Indigenous estate contains high concentrations of threatened species, and more than 50,000 hectares of habitat for the region’s two most endemic threatened animals.
Member of the Nyambaga Aboriginal Green Team cutting and poisoning weed stumps from beside Taylors Arm in Congarinni
There are jobs in the bush and in town for Indigenous male and female workers in the Darwin region
Indigenous workers made up 50% of park rangers and 44% of social security workers. Workers with tertiary qualifications earned similar salaries in urban and rural jobs.
Aquaculture ponds, NT (CSIRO)
There was substantial agricultural development in the Darwin area without sustained government investment
Business turnover increased by more than $100 million and over 200 new jobs were created over a 13-year period at the beginning of the century.