Government and economic leaders from WA, Queensland and the Northern Territory have gathered to make plans for a new age of agriculture in the northern half of Australia.

Forces will be joined after the recent Northern Australia Alliance Forum in Darwin, which saw Regional Development Australia (RDA) committees come together to discuss plans for an upcoming northern white paper.

Leaders from various RDA regions have agreed to lodge a joint submission to the precursory document for the Commonwealth Government’s future direction planning initiative.

The northern white paper is intended to outline ways to better utilise the natural, geographic and strategic assets of northern Australia.

Plans so far are focused on developing a ‘food bowl’ of increased agricultural production, expanding the tourist economy, and creating a larger energy export industry.

RDA Pilbara chairperson Fiona White-Hartig said the members of the new alliance have a range of shared goals for farming, defence, transport, trade and tourism.

“A lot of the issues that came up we found weren't just a challenge in our own local shires but actually were in the whole region, so it was great to be able to talk to others say in Cairns and Darwin, the Kimberley, the Gascoyne, Alice Springs and find out that we all have similar issues and that we're working towards a similar goals,” she said.

More information on the LNP’s vision for developing northern Australia is available at its website.