Mining in the Territory: Opportunities for growth
Image: Department of Primary Industry and Resources, Northern Territory Government. By Elizabeth Fabri FAMED for its red earth and desert landscapes, the Northern Territory is arguably Australia’s most ‘under-explored’ mining region with only a handful of major mines operating across the 1,346,200sqkm expanse. But with government backing and major projects in the pipeline, things are looking up for the country’s top end. The Northern Territory, also known as the ‘Red Centre’, contains a wealth of minerals, including Australia’s largest deposits of uranium, zinc-lead, bauxite, gold, phosphate and manganese. In 2015/16 the territory produced $3.05 billion worth of minerals, of which gold accounted for 29 per cent and manganese 27 per cent of the total value. Employment was on the rise, with...