The heat of climate change, the weight of failed development promises, and the strength of enduring culture all collided at the Australia's Great North Conference held in Garramilla/Darwin recently, where leaders and communities gathered to confront the realities of the north.

At the heart of the conversation was keynote speaker Joe Morrison, a Dagoman and Mualgal man from Katherine, who brought more than 30 years of experience in land rights, Indigenous development, and governance to reflect on the White Paper on Developing the North – ten years on.

Mr Morrison spoke with both authority and lived experience from his past, prior to his current role as CEO of the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC), recalling his upbringing in Katherine and the arrival of land rights in the 1970s.

"That was the decade when land rights had arrived into the Northern Territory. It was good for Traditional Owners in one respect, but ever since then it has been a constant battle," he said.

Framing the north as a place of immense scale and global importance, he reminded delegates: "When I talk about Northern Australia, I'm talking about those mega landscapes and river systems across the top of Australia that produce over 60 per cent of Australia's freshwater runoff from the relatively intact tropical savannas that are home to the world's oldest living culture."

Turning to the White Paper released in 2015, Morrison was candid.

"There has been some change, some positive and some negative," he said. But it does sadden me to see the level of underdevelopment when it comes to meeting the aspirations of Indigenous North Australians and how the narrative about the region continues without confronting Indigenous realities."

Central to his message was the undeniable role of Indigenous people in shaping the region's future.

"In the Northern Territory alone, Aboriginal people hold freehold title to 50 per cent of the land and 87 per cent of the coastline. And outside a handful of cities and towns, Indigenous people are forecast to become the majority of the population."

Yet despite this, he said, Indigenous perspectives have too often been excluded.

"There has been a litany of failed development across the North – from the rice crops at Humpty Doo to the prawn farm at Legune and the overpromise of the Ord," Mr Morrison said

"Indigenous people have consistently and courageously asserted their inherent rights, but those calls for inclusion still remain unrealised."

Mr Morrison argued for a new model of development, led by Indigenous communities themselves.

He called for a Northern Indigenous Prospectus that could guide investment, create intergenerational wealth, and establish a sovereign wealth fund.

"Ensuring the wealth of locals has got to be as important as ensuring shareholders get a dividend," he said. "The idea of a prospectus could provide a blueprint to attract investment to build Indigenous capability and contribute to the nations prosperity."

Mr Morrison said inclusion must go beyond jobs.

"We've learned that investing in the things that matter to Indigenous people – living on Country, language and culture, place-based education – is crucial," he said.

"Engagement in communities, traditional healing and health, and investing in youth programs are just as important to the nation as infrastructure like roads and ports."

His message was one of urgency but also of hope.

"Simply put, the status quo can't continue, he said. "Australia cannot afford to let hopelessness occupy our kids' futures against the backdrop of climate change. The mistakes of the South cannot continue to be repeated in the North."

For Mr Morrison, the path forward lies in genuine partnerships.

"If a government corporation like the ILSC can work alongside, not on behalf of, Indigenous people, then it gives me hope that, on a larger scale, these kinds of changes can take place," he said.

The Australia's Great North Conference underscored that the future of the north will depend not only on infrastructure and investment, but on listening to Indigenous voices and embedding their knowledge and aspirations into every decision.

As Mr Morrison concluded, "We all know that Australia must invest in enduring partnerships between Indigenous people, government and industry. That's always going to be the case for co-existence to occur".