The Northern Territory Government has confirmed it will allocate $400,000 for the Ord Stage 3 Irrigation in the upcoming Territory Budget.

The funding will see the Ord Development Unit continue its work of extending Western Australia’s Ord irrigation unit project into the Northern Territory.

Territory Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, Willem Westra van Holthe, said Ord Stage 3 will be an economy building project.

“This funding is crucial for overcoming the hurdles that lay in the way of our progress. Issues such as working across state lines, native title and investor attraction are all the things this unit will work on,” Mr Westra van Holthe said.

“In this, the ‘Asian Century’ we must develop a food bowl for which we can sell to the growing middle class in developing Asian nations. The Northern Territory must capitalise on our geographical position and fertile soils.

“The Ord Project will help build the Territory economy, one crop at a time.”