Chapter 5Development of the Northern Australia workforce and committee view

Chapter 5—Development of the Northern Australia workforce and committee view

• Govt responsibility for workforce development
  • Recent budget measures
• Post-school education and skills training challenges—success story sub 54 regional uni campuses and sub 52
• Low wages

Opportunities for improvements

Emerging industries

Potential recommendations

• Reiterate recs from previous reports
• Reinsurance
• Review definitions of regional, remote, very remote to enable better access to services
• Other areas for potential recs

Opportunities

There is much potential for growth and investment here [in the NT]. We have fantastic opportunities to expand many areas of our economy. Investing in the tourism industry to share our natural habitat with those around the world, investing in our community sector to ensure that all Territorians are afforded access to essential services and responsibly investing in our plentiful natural resources, are all examples of the outstanding opportunities here in the NT.[1]

Emerging opportunities

5.1Established industries in Northern Australia with further economic potential include:

mining;

agriculture and aquaculture;

tourism through cultural offerings and natural assets;

local participation in the defence industry supply chain;

climate-related growth areas such as carbon abatement; and

lithium and rare earth metals.[2]

5.2Austrade noted it was working to increase trade and investment in key growth sectors to help broaden Northern Australia's economic base, including in:

renewable energy;

critical minerals;

space; and

defence.[3]

Low wages

5.3Unions NT, Submission 74

Skilled migration

5.4Local Government Association Northern Territory, Submission 38 p. 2

Footnotes

[1]Unions NT, Submission 74, p. 1.

[2]National Indigenous Australians Agency, Submission 16, p. 2.

[3]Austrade, Submission 48, pp. 8–10.