NT Election wrap-up

	Watch The Wilderness Society campaign to end land clearing in the Northern Territory

The Northern Territory election, held on Saturday 9 August, ended up a cliff hanger with the result remaining in doubt for a number of days.

It now appears that the Northern Territory Labor Government will be returned to power with a very narrow majority.

Environment issues were very prominent during the campaign with considerable debate about a range of issues including the expansion of uranium mining and the industrialisation of Darwin Harbour.

The Wilderness Society ran an extensive campaign highlighting the threat to the forests and woodlands of the Northern Territory posed by uncontrolled land clearing.

The campaign, which included television and newspaper advertising, particularly focused upon the land clearing threats to the Tiwi Islands and the Daly River region.

In an encouraging development, all sides of politics released policies aimed at reducing land clearing.

The returned Labor Government has promised to maintain a moratorium on land clearing in the Daly River region and to order a full and public assessment of the environmental, social and economic implications of any further land clearing in the Tiwi Islands, which are located 80 kilometres north of Darwin.

The unsuccessful Country Liberals promised that all future land clearing operations would be assessed by an Independent Environmental Protection Agency. This was a welcome move by the Country Liberals who in the past have been very hostile to environmental issues and concerns.

We now look forward to working with the new Northern Territory Government to ensure they keep their promises and also develop a comprehensive plan to protect all the forests and woodlands of the Northern Territory from land clearing.

Learn more:

• Watch The Wilderness Society 2008  Election Ad - 'End Land Clearing in the Northern Territory'
• Read article 'A plea to stop Tiwi Island land clearing'