Top End

Top End Region Economic Growth Plan

The Top End Region Economic Growth Plan provides a guiding framework that will foster economic opportunity and enhance the liveability of our communities by focusing on growth sectors that provide the greatest opportunity for sustainable economic growth.

The plan will play an important role in:

• promoting the region
• enhancing understanding of the region’s population and economic makeup
• identifying the region’s competitive advantages
• identifying key infrastructure to enable economic development and enhance the region’s liveability
• identifying shared challenges and barriers to economic growth
• identifying and realising economic growth opportunities.

The plan identifies economic opportunities across agribusiness, tourism, resources and energy transition that will assist to grow the regional economy and increase job opportunities for local residents. These include:

• Energy transition - large scale hydrogen production and export (Provaris Energy, Tiwi Islands)
• Agribusiness - revitalise pastoral operations at Palumpa Station (West Daly), commercialise successful Black Lip oyster trials (Warruwi West Arnhem), expand live buffalo export industry (West Arnhem)
• Native bush foods - expand and grow Kakadu Plum industry (West Daly and West Arnhem)
• Mine rehabilitation - leverage economic opportunities associated to long term investments rehabilitating Ranger Uranium Mine (Jabiru) and Rum Jungle Uranium mine (Rum Jungle)
• Resources - abundance of unique minerals and proximity to markets (Finniss Lithium and Mount Bundy Gold projects)
• Tourism - multiple region wide opportunities to leverage Aboriginal culture and the regions pristine natural environment to create sustainable tourism enterprises.

The Top End REGC will review the plan annually to ensure the vision, infrastructure and growth opportunities are contemporary and relevant.

View the Top End Regional Economic Growth Plan PDF (2.0 MB).

Top End region

The Top End region encompasses the northernmost section of the Territory, an area of 112,295 square kilometres including West Daly, West Arnhem, the Tiwi Islands and Top End Rural and Unincorporated. Uniquely, the region has a significant portion of land surrounding Darwin and Palmerston cities, classified as unincorporated land (this is land not governed by a local government).

The region extends from Wadeye in the west to Maningrida in the east, and includes the historic mining town of Jabiru inside Kakadu National Park.

Tourism is a significant contributor to economic activity in the region, with world-renowned attractions such as Litchfield and Kakadu national parks, as well as the Daly River for recreational fishing and camping.

Of the 17,900 people living across the region, approximately 74% of residents are Aboriginal with a large proportion of young people. The median age is 32, 39% of residents are aged 24 or younger and only 7% are aged 65 or older.

With almost three-quarters of residents identifying as Aboriginal people, and with the majority of land across the region classified as Aboriginal land, traditional Aboriginal landowners play a critical role in the development of the region and its industries, infrastructure and services.

Additionally, the implementation of Local Decision Making policy across the region is providing a new working relationship between Aboriginal communities and government agencies to support self-determination.

For more information, go to the Local Decision Making website.

---

Give feedback about this page.

Share this page:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Email
• Copy link

URL copied!