NT resources industry has major role to play in nation’s critical minerals push: Resources Minister Keith Pitt

FEDERAL Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Keith Pitt says the Northern Territory’s mining and gas sectors will play a major role in creating new industry and thousands of new jobs in Australia. Mr Pitt says the mining industry, along with the Territory’s gas industry, will have the major roles in creating new industry and thousands of new jobs in the Territory. “The world’s the Territory’s oyster,” Mr Pitt said. “There is a very clear strategy from the Morrison government around critical minerals across the country and that will be all the way from developing what resources we have in Australia through to downstream processing and manufacturing. “We think there is an opportunity to start with prototype plants and absorb them into larger plants over time. That’s why we have the Critical Minerals Facilitation office. “It is in our nation’s interest to develop not only the mining of the resources, but to ensure that those supply lines are tight and held within our country and so too the jobs that come with them. RELATED NEWS $200m Jervois copper mine could become global supplier, lead to expansion of Darwin-Adelaide railway Federal government announces $174m funding to bolster NT gas infrastructure NT government’s $5m loan for Darwin lithium mine “We are working with critical minerals companies for their projects to get up as quickly as possible.” Mr Pitt pointed to Arafura Resources’ $1.1 billion Nolans rare earths project about 90 minutes from Alice Springs and Core Lithium’s project near Darwin as examples. “I have had a number of discussions with Arafura Resources and we are clearly looking at opportunities for that whether that is through the NAIF or elsewhere,” Mr Pitt said. “But the Territory also has vanadium at Mt Peake, there is lithium at Core Lithium Limited’s Finniss project, cobalt resources and more.” Core Lithium, has had its financial case for a go-ahead significantly strengthened by a $5 million conditional loan offer from the NT government. Mr Pitt acknowledged the challenges around the development of new industry, but said the Morrison government is up for the challenges and he believes so too the NT. “I think there is a big opportunity for downstream manufacturing off the back of wet gas out of the Beetaloo Basin,” Mr Pitt said. NT NEWS sizzling new deal: Get all your news for just $5 a month “The potential to be doing downstream plastics manufacturing, the ability to drag back manufacturing back on shore that has gone international over a period of many years, I think is something we need to focus on. “Our government’s success will be measured on how many of those jobs we get back into the Territory. “The world is awash with money looking for a home and I want that to be in Australia and providing Territory and Australian jobs.” gary.shipway@news.com.au