Minerals
The minerals sector is one of the Northern Territory’s largest industries and a major driver of regional economic activity.
The Northern Territory contains a diverse range of mineral commodities, and is a major producer of manganese, bauxite, zinc-lead-silver and gold, and critical minerals.
In 2022-23, mineral production in the Northern Territory (NT) was $4.38 billion, with most production coming from eight major mines.
Explore the Territory’s diverse range of mineral commodities and mine projects on the Resourcing the Territory website.
The Territory has the most in-demand critical minerals in the world. These are minerals crucial for the world’s transition to a renewable energy future because they help produce things like solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles.
Critical minerals are also used in the manufacture of mobile phones, computers, fibre-optic cables, semiconductors, banknotes, and in Defence, aerospace and medical applications.
The world could not function without critical minerals, and the global demand for them is expected to soar.
The Territory produces or has defined resources for 17 internationally recognised critical minerals and has geological potential for a further 12 emerging critical minerals.
The Territory is a global leader in manganese and zinc production, is Australia’s only lithium producer outside of Western Australia, and has significant near-term production opportunities for rare earth elements, cobalt, copper and phosphate.
To support exploration, the Northern Territory Government provides $9.5 million each year towards the Resourcing the Territory program through exploration grants and innovative geoscience programs to de-risk and accelerate critical minerals exploration in the Territory.
The NT Geological Survey (NTGS) grants $3 million to exploration activities across the Territory annually, with $2 million secured specifically, for the exploration of critical minerals.
The NT Government is also progressing the development of the Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct as a world-class processing solution for critical minerals.