Policy Forum Pod

Northern Australia comprises roughly half of the Australian continent, but certainly receives less than half the attention from policymakers. It’s a region with challenging geography, wide cultural diversity, and enduring social inequality, and ever since Federation, it’s been the subject of grand thought bubbles from politicians with visions of turning the region into Australia’s next economic powerhouse. On this week’s podcast, hosts Sharon Bessell and Quentin Grafton hear from Peter Yu about the economic, geographic and development challenges facing the north, and why there might in fact be more solutions than problems. Peter Yu is a Yawuru Man from Broome in the Kimberley region in North West Australia with over 35 years’ experience in Indigenous development and advocacy in the Kimberley and at the state, national and international level. Sharon Bessell is the Director of the Children’s Policy Centre in Crawford School of Public Policy, ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National Universi