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Northern Territory Industries

Australia's Northern Territory has a fast growing economy based on its world-class mineral and energy resources, as well as its rapidly growing tourism, construction, transport, defence, pastoral and horticultural sectors.

The Northern Territory occupies one-sixth of the Australian continent, and it has a population of around 200 000 people, 100 000 of them in the Darwin region. Business and employment opportunities for new Territorians abound in all industry sectors.

The Port of Darwin is the centre of Australia's largest live cattle export trade. The fast-developing farm sector produces mangoes, rambutans and dragon fruit in the north, and table grapes and figs in Central Australia.

Rich mineral deposits make mining the biggest dollar-earner in the Northern Territory economy. The largest private sector employer is tourism, followed by retail, transport and primary industries.

Transport infrastructure includes international airports at Darwin and Alice Springs, with excellent highways linking to the neighbouring states of Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia. The Ghan, the passenger railway connects Darwin to Adelaide through Alice Springs. The railway also links with the Port of Darwin.

Darwin, capital of the north

Darwin, the Northern Territory's capital city, is a vibrant hub and serves tourism, international trade, warehousing, retail, public administration, defence, mining, and the extraction and processing of vast oil and gas reserves of the Timor Sea to it's north.

Economy

Small business accounts for 54.1 per cent of employment in the Northern Territory's private sector, the second highest figure in Australia.

The Northern Territory is leading Australia's average in tourist accommodation bookings, with guest nights increasing by 6.5 per cent in the 12 months to March 2006.

A bright future

The Northern Territory's population is the youngest in Australia with a median age of 30.3 years. Its people are Australia's highest per person spenders on food, recreation and culture.

The Australian Defence Force is positioning the elite of Australia's tanks, strike aircraft, helicopters and military personnel in the Top End, along with 10 per cent of the nation's Defence personnel and their families.

This economic growth is resulting in a boom in the construction sector. Fledgling manufacturing and service industries are seeking skilled workers as they develop capacity to cater for gas-based industries and the defence presence.

Real Northern Territory economic growth in 2005-06 was 3.6 per cent, and independent growth forecasts for the next five years make this relatively small economy one of the best performers in Australia.

Oil, gas and mineral industries lead the way. ConocoPhillips plans to triple the capacity of its $1.5 billion Liquid Natural Gas plant in Darwin, Alcan is spending $2 billion to increase its processing capacity in Nhulunbuy to handle bauxite mined from Gove Peninsula, and other significant projects are taking shape as the Territory's valuable mineral and energy resources are identified and developed.