A 5400-hectare parcel of land has been leased to Kununurra's largest farmer in a boost long-held ambitions for the Ord to become a major cotton growing region.
A $40 million cotton gin facility has been approved by an assessment panel, with the community hoping the project would activate the state's economy and agricultural industry.
Development of a cotton gin in northern WA is set to proceed after ASX company Namoi Cotton, NSW wheat grower Ron Greentree and the federal government backed the project.
The Australian government has approved a $32 million loan for construction of a cotton gin at Kununurra though the project's full potential hinges on approvals for land development.
The state government and local farmers are pressing ahead with planning for a $30 million cotton gin in WA's north despite a recent PwC study finding Katherine in the Northern Territory was a better location.
The State Government has hailed a deal with the Indigenous people of the west Kimberley as a major step towards the long-awaited expansion of the Ord River irrigation project.
