Increase the Territory's global competitiveness

Section 1 acknowledges that mining activities are developed in stages, common across all projects depending on resource discovery and commercialisation opportunities, and that there are specific challenges faced by project proponents in each stage.

Section 1 highlights the public policy and structural changes the Territory can make to improve a proponent’s experience from early stage exploration to production and subsequent rehabilitation and remediation. It recognises that certainty and timeliness are critical success factors and that there are opportunities to modify current government settings to de-risk projects and improve investment attractiveness.

There are areas where the Territory is already punching above its weight. The Northern Territory Geological Survey (NTGS), for example, is recognised internationally as best in class. A rolling program of activities to secure and publish pre-competitive geological information continues to yield vital information on regional mineral resource potential and prospectively, with large areas picked up by private sector parties for more detailed exploration. The geological survey facilitates collaborative programs in partnership with explorers and research institutions, is a key exploration enabler and is the bedrock for exponential growth in Northern Territory mining industry development, expansion and diversification. NTGS continues to advance activities that expand and secure accessibility to the wealth of available pre-competitive information for online users.

Section 1 focusses on other critical enablers for the mining industry and covers mining tenure, access to land, regulatory frameworks, skills and workforce, and physical infrastructure. With the growing focus on sustainability and environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) principles, Section 1 also considers social licence issues faced by the industry and recommends initiatives to encourage greater levels of informed commentary around resource development and environmental stewardship.

Section 1 provides a portfolio of recommendations the taskforce believes will collectively result in greatly improved outcomes for the global competitiveness of the Territory’s project-enabling environment.

What success looks like

Download the Final Report

Download the Executive Summary PDF (2.2 MB) including consolidated recommendations and possible specific actions.

Download the full version of the Mineral Development Taskforce Final Report PDF (10.4 MB) including recommendations and possible specific actions.