Manison’s blue print for new NT mines
THE Territory’s new Minister for Mining and Industry will outline her blueprint for new mines and more when she addresses the industry at a Darwin Mining Club luncheon
Business
Don't miss out on the headlines from Business. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Inpex’s record $22.5m workers’ payout
- Interstate workers, some from Victoria, avoid NT COVID-19 quarantine for gas pipeline job
THE Territory’s new Minister for Mining and Industry will outline her blueprint for new mines, new jobs and a refreshing new outlook to doing business when she addresses the industry at a Darwin Mining Club luncheon on October 29.
It is an event the sector is looking forward to because the appointment of the Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison as the Mining and Industry Minister has been heralded as a big win for the mining and resource sector.
It is not something lost on Ms Manison, who is relishing being free of the shackles of Treasurer.
MORE BUSINESS NEWS
Union fined for bid to shut down Palmo Police Station construction
Flood of ideas to get Northern Territory economy back on track
As proof she has spent the best part of two weeks covering thousands of kilometres meeting miners, farmers and business owners from the Top End to the centre of Australia.
She can barely hide the joy of being handed portfolios that are filled with exciting possibilities for the Territory — portfolios that can deliver new industries, countless jobs and new wealth for our economy.
And to make sure that happens the Deputy Chief Minister has pledged to make sure that the Territory has the world’s best regulation and processes in place to make sure the investment journey in the Northern Territory, including the approvals process, is as fast as possible and streamlined as possible.
“We want to make sure that the Territory is one of the most attractive points for investment in the nation,” Ms Manison said in an exclusive interview with the NT News.
“As a government what we are saying as a Territory is that we have opened up our economy faster than any other jurisdiction and we can and have got the balance right between keeping our population safe while also making sure we can get on with business.
“Local industry needs to be applauded for the way it has battled on in the face of COVID-19. They have shown the wonderful leadership in the business community.”
She pointed to the mining sector which she will be addressing at a Darwin Mining Club luncheon on October 29, as an example.
“Our miners implemented excellent COVID-19 management plans to ensure they continued to operate, which has been really important for our economy,” she said.
“What miners, explorers and the agribusiness sector will see is a government that will be in their corner making sure we are supporting them to expand, to grow to create new opportunities to diversify.
“The mining sector has been a critical part of the Northern Territory economy and it continues to be.
“I want the mines on the table to get up as quickly as possible. That’s my goal.
“I want to see more mines get out of the ground they are good for jobs, they are good for the economy and good for the Northern Territory.
“I have had a lot of exciting meetings with some of the project components since taking over this new portfolio.
“We have some opportunities right here on the doorstep that are coming close to those final investment decisions.
“We have seen exploration hit levels that we haven’t seen since the mining boom so it is a very exciting time for the sector and the Territory.
“We are on the cusp of more mines coming out of the ground, which is going to be good for the Northern Territory economy and good for supply chains and good for creating jobs.
“I think it is an incredibly exciting time here in the Northern Territory when it comes to the resource sector and particularly exciting to be the minister in charge of this portfolio.
“It is not just new mines either, we have gas — offshore and onshore.
“We have a world-class offshore gas industry and now it is also about the opportunities with onshore gas, conventional and unconventional.
“The Amadeus Basin in Central Australia has been an integral part of our economy for a long time but we also have immense opportunities with the Beetaloo and more of that exploration activity has started again.
“I had the opportunity to visit the Beetaloo to see some of the explorations activity that is happening. It was great to see what is a world-class project happening out there.
“To be on the ground meeting the workers and those responsible for the project was invaluable.”
LIMITED TIME: New NT News subscription offer: $1 a week for the first 12 weeks
Ms Mansion said she wants to send a very clear message to investors that the Northern Territory is a place they will want to invest in.
“We will have a modern and contemporary Environment Act … we will make sure we have the right environmental measures in place, but we will also be promoting business investment, growth and opportunity, which is why we need to continue to reform the Act,” Ms Manison said.
“This is about more certainty for new and existing projects when it comes to timelines, and also trying to cut red tape and process and paperwork where it is not required.
“If something is seen as going to be quite complex and have a bigger environmental impact, we will have the appropriate work around it. Whereas something that is going to be quite straight forward and have minimal impact, the measures in place will be in line with that.”
First look: Ozanam relocation plan could be extended, as new facility opens
St Vincent de Paul has given the NT News an exclusive first look at its Ozanam House relocation facility. See the photos.
Revealed: The families and companies behind the NT’s biggest farms
The Territory’s economy was built in-part on the back of the cattle industry. So who owns and works our vital pastoral and farming assets now? Meet the land barons.