摘要：In their 1982 publication ‘Lessons from the Ord’ Davidson and Graham-Taylor exposed the lack of information and the prevalence of political agendas in far-reaching regional development decisions in northern Australia during the 1960s. This paper revisits regional development issues in northern Australia four decades on. It does so in the context of ongoing natural-resource based development in the Kimberley region with specific reference to the Ord River valley. Focussing almost exclusively on the information aspect of development decisions with specific emphasis on mining and agriculture, and largely ignoring process and policy issues, this paper elicits three important lessons. (1) Preferred regional development in Northern Australia remains preoccupied with natural-resource based industries despite the relatively low economic and employment benefits for regional communities. Specifically, much of this development does not address the needs of a large Aboriginal population that is clearly disadvantaged. (2) Public debate about regional development is subdued and not informed by comprehensive information. Data, specifically of an economic and social nature, is sparse and access to existing data is carefully managed by State government agencies, allowing for limited scrutiny of development decisions. (3) Participatory and socio-economic research designed to widen the stakeholder base and develop and assess a wider range of development options is not supported by influential stakeholders.
