Speaker and MP tour Ord development
Speaker of the House of Representatives Bronwyn Bishop has toured the Ord Stage 2 project as part of her trip to the Kimberley with local member Melissa Price last week.
Ms Bishop and Ms Price were guided around the development, about 35km from Kununurra, by the Chinese-backed developer of the project, Kimberley Agricultural Investment.
KAI chief executive Jian Zhong Yin and general manager Jim Engelke showed Ms Bishop and Ms Price around the 1000ha of developed land they hope to crop this year with either chia or sorghum.
During the visit, Mr Yin and Mr Engelke stressed the need for more land if the company was to achieve its long-term goal of a successful sugar industry.
Ms Bishop, a parliamentarian since 1987, said she was blown away by the sight of the Ord project from the air as they flew into Kununurra.
"I usually sit in the aisle seat of an aeroplane but that was not the case, I moved over and sat next to the window," she said.
"It was just so amazing to go from the harsh desert rocks to the vast Ord River and then see crops."
